Back To Yesterday
by maryeemeeh
Summary: At a young age of 22, Riley Matthews knew she wanted the opportunity to contribute to the positive growth and development of an entire generation. As a student counselor, she took pride in her students' accomplishments. However, as Riley becomes charged with the responsibility of providing advise outside of academics, things get personal as her current world collides with her past.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** My very first Girl Meets World fanfic that takes place right after college. Slightly AU.

 **Summary:** At a young age of 22, Riley Matthews knew she wanted the opportunity to contribute to the positive growth and development of an entire generation. As a student counselor, she took pride in her students' accomplishments. However, as Riley becomes charged with the additional responsibility of providing advise outside of academics, things get personal as her current world collides with her past.

* * *

 **Prologue**

A sudden knock on the office door caused her to look up from the computer screen, the ever-familiar sound requesting her presence. She briefly looked over her appointment calendar with furrowed eyebrows, not expecting to see anyone at the moment. But considering she had time to spare before the next one, she decided then she was going to make an exception.

"Come in." She replied, pushing paperwork aside so she could give her full attention to whoever stood behind the door. She looked up and smiled as a petite female with medium length wavy brown hair walked in. "Well hello, Jasmine." She greeted the young teen with a smile, motioning her to sit down on the empty seat in front of the desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Hi, Ms. Matthews." She sat down with hands clasped nervously on her lap. "May I speak with you?"

There was uncertainty in her tone of voice as she studied Jasmine with concern etched in her features. "Of course, what's up?"

"Well," she started off with a deep breath she held for quite some time on her way to the office. "I got my official letter from Yale."

Ms. Matthews arched her brows in anticipation as she could feel her own heart beat accelerate 10 times faster. "And?"

The young teen smiled. "I got in!"

"What!" Ms. Matthews nearly fell back on the chair with excitement causing Jasmine to press her lips together from laughing. Once Ms. Matthews got a hold of herself, she hopped over the desk, knocking over a picture frame as she pulled the young teen into a celebratory hug. "Congratulations! You did it!" She exclaimed, pulling back from their embrace as she placed her hands on Jasmine's shoulders. She stared at the young lady, so many hopes and wishes came rushing through her head for her. She thought about the time when she first met Jasmine, a struggling sophomore in the verge of failing high school after her mother passed away at the age of 13. It was times like these that make her job all the more worthwhile. "I am so proud of you."

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you." Ms. Matthews smiled, brushing off the last comment with a shrug. She prided herself on being a splendid high school counselor for only a mere two years of holding the position right after graduating from NYU. She loved her job, and all of John Quincy Adams High School loved her for doing her job. "You did all the work, hon. With just a little push I had no doubt in my mind that you will succeed."

Jasmine gave a weak smile in return as Ms. Matthews watched with concern growing in her heart. She was obviously hiding something from her. "Okay…I expected a little more excitement from you." She replied teasingly, hoping to ease her conscious.

"I am excited, Ms. Matthews. It's just," she trailed off, glancing away briefly to gather her thoughts together before meeting with her gaze once again. "You've been in love before right?"

Ms. Matthews stood there stunned, caught off guard by the question. This was territory she suddenly had no desire to tread into. "W-why would you ask me that?"

Jasmine shrugged. "I haven't told Eric about Yale."

Realization dawn on Ms. Matthews as memories begin to cloud her mind. She knew exactly where this conversation was heading. "Oh." She nodded for Jasmine to continue despite the twinge of discomfort she felt in her gut.

"I didn't think I was going to get in. But now that I did, I just…don't know what to do." She sighed in frustration. "I'm terrified of losing him."

Ms. Matthews remained speechless, not trusting her voice to speak. She tried to grasp for the right words inside the swirling cloud of emotions in her head, only to feel the turmoil of her past swell over her.

" _What?" She didn't want to do this as part of her ached, wishing that she could take back everything that was said, and run away with him; somewhere where they could somehow make it work. But the reality of their situation was real and she knew his scholarship offer to Texas A &M University was going to change the course of their relationship. "You're breaking up with me?" _

_She bit the inside of her lower lip, trying to pull herself together. "I—" She tried to start, but it was hard to find her voice as she avoided looking at his green eyes. Looking at them would only make it worse. "I can't pretend that a long distance relationship is going to work." She swallowed thickly, trying to disguise the nervous quicker in her voice._

 _He was conflicted sitting beside her at the bay window seat of her bedroom, trying to process everything. "Riley, I tell you about my acceptance letter and the first thing you want to do is break up?!" He exclaimed loudly, giving into the darker part of his personality he tried so hard to work on for the past few years. He couldn't stay mad at her for long, but her words have caught him completely off guard. This was one conversation he knew was not going to end well and it terrified him. "I haven't decided where I'm going next year." He continued, "I haven't made a decision."_

" _Lucas…" she looked into his eyes, the pair of green she loved when she first laid eyes on them in the subway 5 years ago. She could see the frustration and hurt written in every line of his face. She was torn, scared and too afraid to admit it. She didn't want a long distance relationship. She knew it wasn't going to work. It would be almost impossible to maintain because they would rarely get what they need. They were going to meet new people. This would only make things complicated. What was she supposed to do? Beg him to stay and drop all his childhood dreams of one day attending Texas A &M University to become a veterinarian? She just couldn't do it. It would be selfish. She would rather have him go after what he wanted, and do whatever he wanted, even if she wasn't there beside him. "I'm not going to be in the way of chasing your dreams."_

 _He knew what she was trying to do. Riley being Riley tried to do the noble thing, putting her friends' and family's happiness above her own, doing what she thought would be the right thing to do for everyone involved. Lucas responded in a frustrated tone. "But you're not getting in the way of anything." He shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "Why are you doing this?" His voice was soft, yearning. Riley felt her resolve begin to crumble._

" _Because I love you, Lucas." She paused and took a deep breath to calm down. "Because I believe in you. I believe you're destined to change the world and do incredible things. And I believe the only way that can happen is if we," she swallowed thickly, struggling to regain her composure. She felt tears fall onto her shirt, and she shut her eyes, forcing the tears back in. "break up."_

" _Riley, come on." Lucas's eyes began to tear up as he realized how serious she was being. "Please don't do this. We can figure this out together like we always do." He reached out to her, his touch causing her to tremble slightly. Her heart sank at the sight of him. She had never seen him cry before as the image before her made her insides clenched in agony. The last thing she wanted was to hurt him._

" _I don't want to be like all of those long distance relationships that hang in there for a few months—and then break up, Lucas. "_

 _He blinked in confusion. "How can you be so certain that it will happen to us?"_

" _I'm not. But I know in my heart this is the right thing to do."_

 _He shook his head, unwilling for this to happen. She looked into his eyes. They were soft and gentle, not wanting to give up something he really wanted. She could feel what he was feeling and it killed her._

" _Then I'm staying here."_

 _Her eyebrows shot up in confusion. "W-what?"_

" _I can't imagine my life without you, Riley. So if me staying here is the only way I can still have you, then I'll stay."_

" _Lucas, you will always have me in your life. That will never change." She took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage as she swallowed her fear of what's to come. "I still want us to be friends."_

 _He was silent for a moment and Riley watched as her words seemed to finally sink into his head. She saw fresh new tears cornered at the side of his eyes, refusing to fall as she let herself get sick to her stomach. She had to do this. It was the best thing for both of them._

" _You don't want me to stay." His gaze wandered off her eyes and settled on their locked hands. She didn't know exactly what to say. She loved him so much, and it was in that moment she fully understood the meaning of love, and what it really feels to let something you love go. Of course she wanted to be with him, but not like this. He had to understand that._

" _I will always love you, Lucas. Please hold on to that."_

 _He gave a weak, broken smile; one that she knew would haunt her in her dreams. He squeezed her hand once more before putting it up to his lips as tears streamed down his face. "I love you too, Riley."_

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued? Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Okay, this chapter turned out longer than expected, but I had to provide a bit of background before we get into the heavier stuff. Thanks to those who sent in their reviews and those who are following the story. The response has been great! They were encouraging. So again thank you and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"Riley?"

She turned at the sound of a familiar voice beside her. Her thoughts were miles away and it took her a moment longer than expected to realize that her best friend was still speaking to her. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, she stopped listening as her mind drifted to the awkward meeting she had with a student not too long ago; a rather interesting conversation that triggered memories she learned to suppress over the past couple of years.

Riley opened her mouth to reply, but no words would surface. How could she even begin to explain? She was uncertain about starting the conversation without it coming off wrong. The last thing she wanted was to bring up the past and the influx of emotions it would elicit. She finally replied lamely, "Yea?"

"Did you even hear a single word I just said?"

She blinked a few times at the blonde, trying to recall the conversation she nearly forgotten about. "Um, something about Ryder starting a paint war in class, hence the paint on your forehead that you failed miserably to wash off?" She teased, noting the visible streaks of green and red that stained her skin as an innocent smile crept over her face. The blonde glared at her before frowning. She was not used to seeing her usually bubbly friend look so down, and she was doing a terrible job of hiding it.

"Seriously, Riley. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Maya." She murmured, not at all convincing as she idly picked up her coffee mug. Riley did her best to act like everything was fine as her gaze drifted aimlessly to a few staff members entering the faculty room. But she could feel Maya's eyes on her as they quietly sat at their usual table by the window causing Riley to shift uncomfortably on her seat. She knew the question and answer session was going to start soon.

"You sure?" Her tone indicated that she knew Riley was hiding something and she wasn't about to let the subject rest.

Riley groaned despondently, wishing her best friend wasn't so observant. It was stupid of her to think otherwise, to think she can get away with it. They have known each other since they were practically babies. She should know by now that they read each other like a book.

Riley released a heavy breath, unsure of how to lay it out on her. She had to refrain herself from letting the thought of _him_ get to her head. "Jasmine came to my office earlier today," Riley started off quietly and reluctantly. "She got accepted to Yale."

"That's amazing." Maya exclaimed, masking the same delighted expression on her best friend's features. But the look instantly disappeared as Riley's face fell slightly, with brows knitted together in deep thought.

She sighed. "But…"

"Ah, of course there's a _but_."

"She is conflicted, Maya. She's afraid that going to Yale would mean losing her boyfriend. And now she's asking me what she should do. What _I_ would do in that situation."

"Oh." Maya digested her words carefully as realization dawned on her, causing her eyes to spring open in response. "Ohhhh…"

"How can I possibly help her, Maya? My job is to guide these kids, mentor them, help them set goals and prepare them for future educational opportunities and entry into the work force. Not give relationship advice!" She spluttered out in frustration. Maya reached across the table and placed a hand on top of Riley's for support. She knew she carried a heavy burden of making sure her students succeed, which was one of the many things she admired most about Riley. She would do anything for them. If they failed, she failed them too.

"So what did you tell her?"

Riley gave a dismissive shrug. "I said to be honest with him. Be open about your dreams, your goals…what you want in life, and then decide for yourself. Is this something you can look back at 5, 10 years from now and have absolutely no regrets."

Maya nodded. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Riley pursed her lips in thoughtful contemplation as silence stretched between them. Maya studied her carefully. She could see the conflicting emotions play over Riley's expressive face and she knew in that moment something else was bothering her entirely, a subject matter she was afraid to delve into.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Maya began slowly, pulling Riley out of her thoughts.

"Nope, that's about it." Riley smiled and hoped that the blonde wouldn't press the subject any further. But she knew better. "So, what are you going to do about Ryder?"

Maya gave her a look that said she wasn't fooled by the abrupt topic change, but she smirked back and played along anyway. She figured they could have the conversation at a later time. Whatever was weighting on her best friend's mind was gone now; at least for the moment. "Detention." She replied. "Oh and scrubbing off the paint from the floors and tables right after school." Maya added furiously as Riley shook her head and chuckled.

"Who would have thought we end up back here working for our high school together?"

Maya smiled warmly at the thought. "And now we get to boss little kids around and assign tons of meaningless homework." She added teasingly to lighten the mood. "Oh how the tables have turned. I like it. I can see why your father enjoyed torturing us. Teaching definitely has its perks."

"Maya…" Riley gave her a pointed look before breaking into laughter.

The sound of the bell rang, announcing it was the end of lunch period.

"Ah, music to my hears." Maya spoke in a sarcastic tone as she clasped her hands together and rose to her feet. "Time to torture another group of 9th graders." She grinned mischievously as she downed the rest of her coffee. "I'll see you at home?"

"Yea. But don't wait up. I'm going to drop by at the bakery after school."

Maya gasped, flashing her best friend a bright smile. "You are?" She questioned enthusiastically with eyes so wide, it looked as if her eyeballs were about to pop out from its sockets.

Riley chuckled at how ridiculous the blond appeared before her. "Don't worry, I promise to bring home blueberry muffins."

"And a few slices of cheesecake?" Maya pleaded, batting her eyelashes in attempt to get her way. "Strawberry cheesecake?" Riley rolled her eyes before responding.

"Sure, whatever. You owe me, Maya."

"Yay! I love you. You're the best! K? Bye."

Riley shook her head, smiling as she makes her way back to her office.

* * *

Riley stepped out from the administration building of John Quincy Adams High School as soon as classes ended for the day. It was a pleasantly warm afternoon in New York City despite the gentle breeze that rustled gently through the city. The trees stood utterly still as the warm afternoon sunlight glimmered and danced merrily on her face, marking the beginning of spring. It was such a beautiful day, Riley decided then to opt out taking the subway and instead walk a couple of blocks down to Topanga's.

The noise of vehicles zooming past by was deafening as the rush hour traffic began to build up in the late afternoon. Crowds of pedestrians, shoppers, and bystanders can be seen walking along the pavements outside of shops and buildings or trying to cross she street.

Roughly 30 minutes into the walk, Riley finally reached Topanga's. She stepped inside the bakery and was greeted by the alluring smell of fresh coffee and baked goods that filled her nostrils. It was calm inside with only a few customers and more empty tables strewn with little packaged condiments. Her eyes wandered aimlessly until they fell upon a familiar blond situated in the back of the room. She immediately recognized the young teenager as she motioned towards his direction.

"Eric?"

He looked up from the history book laid out in front of him and smiled. It just dawned on her that midterms were next week. "Oh hey, Ms. Matthews." He greeted shyly.

She observed her surroundings as if expecting someone else. "You're here all by yourself?" Riley asked curiously. "Where's Jasmine?"

"She has dance practice. She will be meeting with me here afterwards."

Riley nodded and sensed something was weighing down on him as he sat there nervous and thoughtful before her. She had to refrain herself from bringing up Yale and what his thoughts and feelings were on the matter. Not that she was being nosy, but she genuinely cared about her students. "Alright, well I'll leave you to your studies. I'll be in the back if you need anything."

"Uh, Ms. Matthews?"

She turned back around to face him. "Yes?"

"You think...maybe…you can do me a favor?"

Riley gave him a curious look as she took a seat across from him. She watched as the young teen rubbed his temples, trying to ward off an impending headache. Whatever it was he wanted her to do must be something really important. Suddenly, Riley was feeling nervous. "What is it?"

He reached for something in his backpack and pulled out a white envelope. "This came in the mail today," he began as he handed her the letter. Riley's eyes widen upon noticing a very familiar, yet unexpected college logo on the left upper corner of the envelope. She shifted her gaze back at Eric with a surprised look on her face.

"I didn't know you applied to Yale."

He gave her a lopsided smile. "I haven't told Jasmine. I don't even know if I got in or not." His reply was instant as he felt such a mixture of emotions all laced with lingering doubt. "Anyway, I want you to read it."

Riley arched her brow at the unexpected request as she regarded him carefully. "You sure you don't want to do this with your parents…or maybe with Jasmine?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm sure. It has to be you. I want it to be you, Ms. Matthews. Whatever it says on that letter, I can handle it."

Riley nodded and inhaled a deep breath. "Alright, here it goes." She ripped open the envelope and began reading its contents.

"Well?" Eric wiggled in his seat eagerly. "What's it say?"

Letting out an audible sigh, Riley looked back at Eric with a frown. As his shoulders sagged in disappointment, Riley slowly turned her frown into a wide grin. "Congratulations, Eric. You got in."

"What?" He exclaimed in disbelief, taking the letter from Riley for confirmation. "Seriously?"

Riley chuckled. "Yes, seriously!"

"Oh my God, this is unreal." He looked back at her with a wide grin he could not contain. "Thank you, Ms. Matthews. Thank you for everything."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Eric. I am proud of you and all that you've accomplished. But…what about Duke and the basketball scholarship?" She asked curiously. "You've been talking about going to Duke all year."

"I know." He said glancing away from her for a brief moment. "I haven't made a decision yet. But…whether or not she will go to Duke with me, or if I decide to go to Yale, or if we end up going our separate ways..." he paused in mid-sentence to collect his thoughts, "Whatever happens, I want Jasmine to be part of that decision." Riley listened intently as she could feel her stomach tightened into a knot. She was smiling at him in awe, but inside, sadness washed over her as she pressed firmly on her lips to keep her emotions at bay. "I love her, Ms. Matthews. She means more to me than any childhood dream."

" _I didn't think you would come." He slowly approached her, finding the courage to speak first as his intense green eyes stared longingly into her soft brown ones._

 _She weakly smiled, drinking him all in—the dark jeans that hung perfectly on his hips; the tight flannel shirt that seemed to hug his body in all the right places; the way his body turned towards hers seemingly attuned to her needs. As his green eyes found hers, she felt the walls she had carefully constructed around herself begin to break. "I couldn't have you leave without saying goodbye."_

 _There was a long silence between them that dragged for what felt like an eternity. She had considered not showing up to the airport for the obvious reason of the pain and heartbreak she still felt from their break up. She didn't want to be there. She didn't want to be saying goodbye. She thought not being there would make it easier, but it made her feel worse. This is what she wanted after all; yet somehow, it felt wrong._

 _They stood just a few feet away from security check as the announcement of his flight to Austin, Texas sounded in the telecom. She was the last to say her goodbye as their friends scattered around them watching intently with curious eyes._

" _I'm glad you're here." He uttered as he felt his stomach pulsating, finding it harder to leave, as his departure time grew closer. He gazed at her, letting his eyes fall right in line to her. There was a pause between them as the tension that has been slowly building throughout their exchange grew heavy and thick._

" _I guess this is goodbye then." She spoke with hint of reluctance underlying her tone._

" _It doesn't have to be." He whispered as his hand reached out for hers._

 _She silenced him with her free hand as two fingers fell upon his lips before he spoke another word. "Don't." Her fingers moved from his lips and found the softness of his cheekbones. She cupped his cheeks in the palm of her hands and pressed her forehead against his._

 _He squeezed his eyes shut and reveled in her touch for one last time. "I don't want to say goodbye, Riley." He replied, his voice barely above a whisper._

" _Then we won't." He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment as he turned his head to face her. She smiled at him, hoping to lighten the heaviness of the situation with a reassuring look. "We'll just say…'I'll see you later.' Okay?"_

 _He nodded solemnly as she tilted her head towards his and pressed a soft, quick kiss on his cheek. Riley could have sworn she heard him give a shuddering breath at the contact. "I'll see you later, Lucas." Her hands then fell to her sides and she slowly pulled away from him._

 _With his free hand, he reached out and grabbed hers one last time, squeezing it firmly in his. "I'll see you later, Riley." He reluctantly released her hand and turned as he reached down and grabbed his carry-on bag._

 _He walked through the security gate with the memory of her lips and embrace fresh in his mind. After only a few steps, he turned, hoping to catch one last glimpse as sad smiles graced both of their faces. The longing he saw in her eyes comforted him in a way that provided him the strength to walk away. Confident that the next time he saw her, there would be nothing to keep them apart._

 _She remained still and watched him go until he disappeared among the busy crowd. Illogical thoughts filled her brain. She wanted to stop him. To scream out his name and beg him to stay. To tell him she still loved him and there would be no other man on this earth who would truly make her happy. But she didn't move. Did not utter a single word. Instead, she felt her heart clenched, her chest heaved. And when she could no longer contain the emotions she fought so hard to hold back, she finally let go, sadly wiping at the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think. I'll do my best to update asap.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** First off, thanks for the adds, the follows, the alerts and those who sent in their reviews. I apologize for the wait, but work and the holidays happened and this chapter was a difficult one to write. But it is a longer chapter than the previous one, so hopefully the wait will be worth it (lol). With that said, thanks for giving my story a chance and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

It was the end of midterms week as the sound of the bell rang through the halls, classrooms and in every corner of John Quincy Adams High School. Students fled from their classrooms in an instant rush, filling the hallways with the excitement of Spring break.

Riley Matthews stepped out from her office and watched the scene unfold before her. The hallways were packed as groups of students chatted aimlessly about their plans for the week while others wasted no time and went straight for the exit to begin their week of freedom.

"So, best friend what are your plans for the week?" Came a familiar voice that ripped Riley from her brief trance as she turned around and smiled at Maya who was giddy with excitement. The blond threw her arm around her shoulders and walked alongside her.

"Oh you know, just work." Riley answered with a dismissive shrug causing Maya to groan in response.

"Work?" She whined. "What work? We have an entire week to ourselves. What could possibly be more important than doing absolutely nothing with yours truly, hmm?"

"I am booked for an engagement photo session for the weekend, remember?" Riley replied candidly as they turned at the corner, waving to a few students nearby. "In fact, I'm meeting with the bride-to-be later today for a consultation at Topanga's."

"Oh. Right." Maya let out a disappointed sigh. "I forgot."

"But we can do something after this weekend. Anything you want." Riley reassured her with a smile as they stepped outside and headed towards the direction of the nearest subway station. "Besides, don't you have plans with my Uncle Josh?" She asked with a suggestive smile, one that did not got unnoticed as Maya felt her cheeks warm at the mention of his name.

"Yes, but I was also looking forward to spending time with my best friend." She admitted with hint of sadness in her tone causing Riley to frown in guilt. If she was being perfectly honest, Riley could not recall the last time they spent quality time together. With their busy lives and conflicting schedules, it was difficult to find the time. They lived together and saw each other everyday, but there was work and personal matters that need to be dealt with. And now with her side job as a professional photographer, a hobby that turned into a declared minor during her junior year in NYU, time with Maya has become impossible to obtain. Luckily for her, Maya was just as busy as she was and they continue to support each other in whatever endeavors they decide to take on.

"Any idea what Josh has plan for you?" Riley asked, moving on to a more exciting topic considering it was Spring break, and the last thing she wanted was to start the week dampening the mood.

"Nope. No idea." Brief silence fell upon them as Maya peered at Riley from the corner of her eye. She pursed her lips with a mischievous thought in mind. "Unless…of course he mentioned something to you."

Riley glared at her. "No, Maya. But if I did know anything, I would not tell you." She playfully nudged Maya towards the entrance of the subway station as they descended down the stairs.

The subway train ride took only a mere 15 minutes as Riley and Maya reached their destination stop and walked two blocks to their apartment building. Once inside, Riley went to her room in search for a portfolio to put together and present to her client later on that day. She grabbed a medium-sized storage box from the closet and rummaged through a few sample photos taken from previous events. While going through numerous pictures, Riley unexpectedly came across photographs from her high school days. She let herself drop to the floor as the pictures scattered all around her, letting the memories engulf her. There were so many stories attached, so many memories entwined that she found herself laughing and smiling as she browsed through them. The first of many pictures she picked up was one of her and Maya in their cheerleading uniforms after trying out for the JV team during their freshman year. They both did not make it as she remembered Maya convincing her to keep the uniforms so they can have fun pretending to be on the team. Somehow they got away with it and the cheer coach never found out. Riley chuckled fondly at the memory as she picked up another photo, this time it was a picture of the four of them during graduation day. Wearing their black graduation cap and gown, her childhood close friend Farkle stood on the far left; next to him was Maya, and then Riley herself. A smile tugged the corners of her mouth, but it was gone again before it's really there as Riley dragged her eyes to the taller figure with light brown hair and piercing green eyes standing beside her on the far right, staring at her with a smile while everyone else looked and smiled at the camera.

Riley shut her eyes and was suddenly filled with the inexplicable need to relive the good old days as the emptiness she felt threatened to appear. She turned her gaze to another photo, one of her and the same tall male figure when they were younger. This time he was smiling at the camera, his arm wrapped around her shoulder while her head was turned towards him with her lips pressed against his cheek. Riley smiled as she remembered when he had snapped the selfie photo from her Polaroid camera. It was a beautiful summer day with clear blue skies and not a cloud in sight. It was the moment they finally gave in to their feelings and became a couple.

 _He saw the brunette sitting alone in a nearby bench in front of the more secluded ponds in Central Park, a farther distance away from tourists marveling at the scenic greenery in the middle of a bustling metropolis. She was watching people pass her by. She loved observing people. She liked to imagine their life story and what was going on inside their heads. It was one of the many things that drew him to her. She was full of curiosity and full of life, determined to learn more about the world. In return, it only made him want to know everything there is to know about Riley Matthews. He smiled a little as her gaze returned to the pond, her expression calm and peaceful, he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her._

" _Riley?" It took him a moment longer to find the courage to approach her as he watched her jump at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard him coming, which says a good deal about her current state of mind. Her thoughts were miles away and he wondered if any of those thoughts were about him._

" _Lucas?" She smiled at him as the delighted expression on her face instantly warmed his racing heart. Even after knowing her for three years, she still had a certain effect on him, always commanding his attention as if nothing else mattered. "What are you doing here?" The atmosphere in the air grew tense, almost palpable even as his unexpected presence heightened her curiosity. Being alone with him in a beautiful city that people usually romanticized caused her emotions to spring back to life._

 _He took a seat beside her and felt the words he rehearsed over and over again in his head flee from him. He swallowed nervously as he tried to formulate a sentence, but there were too many things going on in his mind to be able to come up with anything that would be coherent. He was so used to talking to Riley openly and honestly, exchanging life stories for hours as it came naturally to them. But when it came to discussing their feelings, and stepping beyond the bounds of their friendship, it was a subject matter they try to avoid entirely._

" _I figured you'd be here," was his response as his shy gaze connected with hers. She raised her eyebrows skeptically and he could see the genuine concern etched in her features._

" _Is everything alright?" She asked causing him to expel a nervous breath as fear gripped him once more._

" _Yeah…I hope so."_

 _They smiled at each other for another minute before turning away. He chewed on his lower lip, deliberating mentally as they sat in relative silence. "So…what were you thinking about?" He began slowly, breaking the companionable silence that's becoming strangely familiar between them. She glanced at him cautiously with a guarded expression._

" _I was just thinking about this past year." She spoke softly, offering a faint smile in return. She averted from his intent gaze and stared out into the pond, contemplating how life can be disappointing, but thrilling at the same time. "So much has happened, Lucas. So much has changed."_

 _He read her carefully and nodded, knowing the feeling all too well. This past year has been filled with new experiences, new life lessons but also challenges that tested their friendships and confronted their deepest fears. If there was one thing he was certainly grateful for, it was that his friendship with Riley never changed._

" _And here we are, about to enter our sophomore year." He muttered as his lips quirked up into a smile._

 _She nodded absently. "Yep. Time sure flies by don't it?" She turned to him and saw the distracted look upon his face as though there was something nagging in the back of his mind he could not escape._

" _Riley, can I ask you something?" His voice was tinged with worry as he can feel himself on edge. He debated in his mind how he was going to bring up the matter that had been weighing down on him for the past year._

 _She nodded at him encouragingly. "Sure."_

" _What am I to you?" He asked lightly, almost afraid to find out what was going to come. Her eyebrows flew upward in surprise as the memory of him calling her a princess after asking the same question two years ago flooded her mind. His gaze remained steady, though the seriousness never left his handsome face._

" _What are you to me?" She asked, smiling wistfully. "To me…you were the boy I met in the subway. The first boy I ever liked. The first boy I went on my first date with. The first boy I kissed." She paused and looked at him as all traces of the calm evaporated from her face. "Lucas, you're—"_

" _I'm in love with you, Riley." His words came out in a jumbled rush. Everything he kept bottled up for months just spilled out. His eyes widened in shock mirroring her reaction as he saw the look of disbelief residing in her gaze. When she remained silent, he continued on nervously with renewed confidence to hold nothing back. "If there was one thing I learned about myself this past year, Riley it is my growing feelings for you."_

" _Lucas…"_

 _It took Riley a moment to let it all sink in as silence lingered between them. They remained sitting on the bench, frozen, neither of them saying a word as he studied her carefully and watched as her eyes fell to her clasped hands. The silence stretched even further until it became disconcerting. His entire body was trembling and his heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he feared it would explode._

" _I know you've been through a lot this year and you're still working through everything. But I just needed you to know…that I love you." He whispered as he stared longingly into her soft gaze. "I'm in love with you."_

 _She looked up and gave him a long glance, eyes searching his face as if trying to read something in his expression. He took her in, the light of day still lingering and the sun adding a slight glow to her long brunette hair. As he stared at her, his heart fluttered beneath his chest. She was beautiful and there was nothing he could do to stop the familiar pang in his heart whenever doubt and uncertainty clouded his mind._

" _Riley—"_

 _And without thought, she placed her hands on either side of his face and gently brought her lips to meet his, cutting off anything else he was going to say. It was so unexpected, so quick that Lucas found himself unable to move, too stunned by the feel of her warm and soft lips against his. Riley pulled away then, the look of awe on her face reflected the awe he felt in that moment. All his worries and doubts melted away as the following words finally escaped her lips._

" _I love you too, Lucas."_

A notification alert sounded, pulling Riley from her concentrated thoughts as she added the finishing touches to the portfolio. Riley quickly glanced down at the smartphone beside her with a new message from her business inquiries inbox. She opened the file and browsed through its contents, frowning upon the short message. It was from her client, who insisted last minute they meet somewhere else at a coffee and bakery shop in the other side of town. Despite her annoyance, Riley reluctantly agreed in response. She would have to leave now if she had any chance of making it on time for the consultation.

Riley quickly studied her portfolio until she was satisfied that all her best work was presented in one packet. She then changed out of her work clothes and began putting on something more casual, but also professional. She decided that a pair of dark jeans and a black blazer over a simple light pink button-up shirt would suffice.

With her strappy black wedges on and her hair up in a messy bun, Riley grabbed her satchel with portfolio in hand and left the room, saying goodbye to Maya in the kitchen before closing the front door on her way out.

She signaled for a cab she spotted from a short distance as the yellow vehicle came to a complete stop in front of her. Riley provided the driver the address to her destination and they were off. After 45 minutes of busy traffic, getting in and out of the highway and going through back roads only to hit more traffic, Riley made it to the coffee and bakery shop 10 minutes late into the meeting. She paid the driver with a generous tip and hurriedly stepped out onto the pavement and made her way inside the small building.

"Riley?" A feminine voice called out her name as she looked up and spotted a young adult female around the same age as she was with long gorgeous auburn hair waving to her from the back of the shop. As she stepped closer, Riley was taken aback by how beautiful she looked. With hazel eyes, flawless skin and a face that is worthy of being seen in any magazine cover and poster board, whoever held her heart and affection was truly one lucky guy.

"Hi, you must be Belle." Riley greeted with a warm smile. She motioned towards her direction and accepted the female's extended hand with her own for a friendly handshake.

"Yes, it's nice to finally meet you." She returned the smile as the two situated themselves in a more secluded area in the shop.

"I apologize for being late." Riley spoke tentatively, taking a seat across from her as she pulled out her portfolio. She signaled for the waiter and quickly ordered an ice caramel latte.

"Oh please, don't be. It was my fault for changing the location on a very short notice." She explained kindly. "My apologies. It's just…I want my fiancée to be equally involved with the planning. It is afterall _our_ wedding, and not just mine. So he insisted we go somewhere else, further away from the city. But he should be here soon."

Riley nodded her understanding. Just moments later, the waiter returned with her order. "Well now that we are here, let's get started."

"Great!"

Riley handed her the portfolio. "So here are some sample photos from previous events that you can take a look at. We do anything from graduations to cotillions, to weddings and company parties. You name it. You will also find package deals that we offer if you decide to have us for your wedding. But for the engagement photo session alone, you will find prices in the back of the portfolio including the contract that you can also read over before signing."

"Wow…" Belle muttered breathlessly as she browsed through the portfolio in amazement. "These photos are absolutely gorgeous, Riley."

She felt her cheeks reddened at the comment. "Thank you."

"How long have you been doing this for?" Belle asked curiously as she glanced up from the portfolio to look at Riley before shifting her gaze back at the photos.

"Professionally it's only been two years. But I started when I was handed a camera at the age of 12."

"Impressive."

There was a moment of silence as Riley gave her client ample time to look through her work.

"So, Belle what I usually do with my clients is have them talk briefly about themselves, about their partner, and from there, we can decide on a possible theme for the photoshoot. That way I can capture your vision on camera while also making the experience more personalized and special for the both of you."

"Yea, okay sounds great."

Riley listened intently for the next half hour as her client spoke animatedly about her life. Within that short timeframe, Riley learned that Belle grew up in New York and moved to Maine at the end of middle school to live with her father following her parents' divorce. She met her fiancée in college who also lived in New York for a few years before moving out. He played college football while she was on the women's volleyball team. Both being part of the athletics committee club, they met and instantly fell in love.

Suddenly Belle's eyes were trained ahead of her, glancing away from Riley as her focused turned towards the front of the bakery. She watched as her client's expression went from being serious to delighted in a matter of seconds.

"He's here." She said happily, waving her hand in the air to signal him over. When Riley turned around, she hadn't expected who was standing before her. The past came back to her in a flash and she felt herself get dizzy. All the memories of stolen moments in her room, talks about their lives and their future came flashing back to her all at once.

He stared at her, a myriad of emotions on her face as she found herself staring into the hypnotic green eyes full of shock and concern. Her gaze traveled over the rest of his face, drinking in all the too familiar features.

"Riley, I want you to meet my fiancé. Lucas Friar."

Her heart constricted painfully at the sight of him as a small tremor worked its way through her body. She could feel the panic wash over her as her stomach tightened into a knot. She took a deep breath and steadied herself for the moment she never thought she'd have.

"Hi…"

He held her gaze, which had him mesmerized within seconds. His breath hitched as he secretly took in her appearance and felt his heart contract.

"Hey…"

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued? Let me know what you guys think.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and adding the story to your favs. Nice to see new readers. Sorry it took this long to get the latest chapter out. I got busy over the holidays and then caught a cold. But now that I feel better and the holidays are over, I hope to update more frequently. With that said, thanks for your continued interest in the story and for sharing your thoughts. I hope you enjoy reading.

Side note: If you haven't noticed by now, all the OC's are named after Disney characters, specifically princesses and princes just because...(lol).

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

The general atmosphere in the room was one of intense misery. She remained completely still in her seat as the green eyes that she had thought she'd never see again were focused intently on her. And he looked gorgeous. Impeccable as always with his dirty blonde hair nicely styled the way he always had it. He wore dark blue jeans with a crisp navy blue button up shirt under a simple dark grey cardigan. She had not been prepared for this moment as her heart hammered uncontrollably against her chest and her palms grew slightly clammy. Seeing him again caused all of the feelings and memories she'd pushed aside for years come rushing to the forefront.

"Hi-hi," she said with uncertainty, running her hands down the front of her pants out of pure nervousness. She mentally berated herself for sounding like a fool.

"Hey," he replied again, his gaze never leaving hers as he stopped a few paces from her.

She swallowed thickly, forgetting for a brief moment about the woman sitting across from her who now held his heart. Riley shook her head and looked away from him, feeling slightly ashamed. Luckily, Belle was too distracted and excited by the presence of her fiancée to suspect anything from the awkward exchange between them.

"It's nice to meet you…both." Riley said uneasily, regaining her composure as she turned her gaze back to the beautiful auburn-haired female with a forced smile.

Silence reigned over them as she mentally prepared for an escape route, an excuse to leave. She was afraid of losing it, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. She desperately wanted to remove herself from an impossible situation that has got her head spinning and heart racing.

"Anyway, I uh…got to go and meet with other clients." Riley breathed out silently, still trying to get over the initial shock of seeing him. "You can keep the portfolio to look over some more or...whatever. Keep it if you will. You have my contact information." She spoke in an instant rush, grabbing her satchel bag from the table. When she turned around, her eyes connected with his once again as she tried to keep her breathing pattern steady. "Congratulations, Lucas." She managed to say softly, a knot tightening in the pit of her stomach. She could feel his worried gaze against her flushed skin as she walked past him and left.

* * *

 _He leaned his forehead wearily against the dark wooden paneled door, his hand rubbing idly on the metal doorknob. He turned it slightly, just has he did a few times before that, hoping that this time she would have unlocked the door for him by now. But it remained securely locked as a defeated sigh escaped from his lips. "Riley, please…" he begged of her, his voice filled with emotions that were incomprehensible. He wasn't sure why she was behaving so strangely as it aggravated him some more. "Open the door."_

" _Go away, Lucas." She mumbled carefully._

" _Why are you being like this?" He asked, sighing in frustration. Thoughts were flooding his mind, and all he could do was contemplate. They have made their relationship official, and after 1 month into the relationship, he couldn't shake the feeling that something went terribly wrong as the thought of Riley changing her mind about being with him surfaced. He shook his head slightly to clear his head of such negative thoughts and regained focus on the girl who has captured his heart in more ways than he could ever imagine. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked worriedly. There was only silence on the other side of the door as he groaned quietly, fighting with the emotions that threatened to appear. "Listen, Riley—"_

 _Lucas was cut off mid-sentence as the door he was previously leaning against sprung open, causing him to stumble forward and enter Riley's bedroom. He recovered his balance and stood up in front of her. He looked at her, looked at the colors passing by as he fell into a trance with her. She had no idea the power she had over him as the sight of her temporarily melted away his worries. "Riley…" He breathed as she averted her gaze from him with trace of uncertainty clouding her features. He wanted to hug and comfort her, as she looked so hesitant and vulnerable before him. Not as angry as he expected her to be. She slowly turned around and moved across the room, taking a seat at the edge of the bed with her eyes fixed to the floor. Lucas took it as an invitation to join her as he occupied the empty space beside her._

 _Each waited for the other to start the conversation but neither knew where to begin. The silence stretched between them until it became unbearable for Lucas to wait out much longer._

" _Riley, what's wrong?"_

 _She shut her eyes and expelled a heavy breath she hadn't realize she's been holding. "I saw you talking with Missy." Her reply was instant, letting it be known that her advances towards him bothered her. Riley remembered the moment clearly. She was waiting for him on the bleachers during football practice after school that day and watched Missy approach him from the sidelines laughing at something he had said as she wiped off the dirt on his face with her hand. It was frustrating how oblivious Lucas can be when it came to girls throwing themselves at him._

 _He arched his brow in surprise. "She was only asking me about an assignment for Mrs. Burgess class."_

" _Yea." Riley scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure she was."_

" _Is that what you're upset about?" He exclaimed loudly._

 _She couldn't help it. She wasn't blind. She sees the looks he gets in the hallways from girls on the cheer team, the comments on his pictures on Instagram, the bold girls that flirt with him right in front of her during class and in the cafeteria. Of course Lucas never reciprocates anything, and Riley knows he'd never betray her, but it's still hard to watch girls blatantly lust after him._

" _She likes you, Lucas. In fact, half the girls in the school like you."_

" _Missy is just a friend, Riley."_

" _It seems like she wants to be more than a friend." Riley responded, sounding harsher than she intended._

 _Lucas paused, bewildered by the hurt in Riley's tone. "Okay. If it makes you feel better I'll stop talking to her."_

" _That's not the point, Lucas. I don't care who you talk to or who you become friends with just as long as it doesn't change who you are."_

" _Then what is it?"_

" _You can be with any girl you want, Lucas. Even someone as pretty as Missy…and yet you chose me. Why?" Lucas regarded her carefully. He knew she had her insecurities, but he felt she had no reason to feel that way around him. He loved everything about her. He had to make her see that._

" _Why?" He asked, moving closer to Riley and closing the small gap between them. He takes her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes. "You make me want to be a better version of myself, Riley. You have never given up on me once even during my darkest moments. You continue to believe in me, push me when I was ready to give up and accept failure. You're loyal to those closest to you; you're genuine, kind, and a bit of a dork." He added with a smile. "But that's what I love about you, Riley. And above all, you're absolutely gorgeous inside and out. There's just no one else out there that can make me feel the way I feel about you. Not Missy or any other girl. It's you, Riley. It's always going to be you."_

 _Riley's eyes began to fill up with tears as he spoke. She couldn't help, but feel guilty and embarrassed for how she handled the situation. She wanted to feel like she was worth it just as Lucas has proven to her that he was worth it. "I'm sorry."_

" _No, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was bothering you." He said, wiping at her tears. "I should be more mindful about all the unwanted attention."_

" _Well I supposed I don't blame them. I mean look at you." She grinned, drinking him all in. "You're perfect."_

 _A smile curved his lips as he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. He pulled back and whispered. "No, you are."_

* * *

Riley sat in front of the bay window of her living room apartment with eyes fixed to the brilliant night sky. But she wasn't lost in the dazzling beauty of the clear, star streaked canvas she knew Maya would have the knack to paint. She was lost in thought, trying to process all that she had found out.

He was _engaged_.

The realization didn't come as a surprise to her. Just thinking about it caused a chill to run down her spine. She knew he would find someone one day. How could he not? He was gorgeous, kind, smart and incredibly charming. He was everything to her and much more. Any woman would have easily fallen in love with him.

She hadn't thought she'd ever see him again. She wasn't prepared for it. It had been four years since Riley had last seen or heard from him. Four long years in which the first two she'd tried to bury her head in school and pretend he didn't exist. It was hard, especially when she missed him so much that at times it was hard to breathe. But life forced her to move forward as every step seemed to hurt less than the one before. It was during the last two years she learned to finally let go of the past and focus on her dreams she worked hard to achieve. If she couldn't fix what they used to have, at least she can make a living fixing the lives of others. At the end of the day, it made her happy and it worked. She went on with her life as if he had never been apart of it.

Seeing him again, however made her realized he still mattered to her. Although she would not admit it out loud or to herself, she missed their friendship. She missed having him around. She missed talking to him. There was so much history there, and it turned out some memories could not be forgotten. They may be buried, but there are still there, lurking just under the surface.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and sighed, her mind drifting aimlessly in the swirling cloud of emotions.

"Riley?"

She was so lost in thought, lost in her own little world, she failed to notice anyone walk in and approach her. As Riley glanced over her shoulder, Maya had her arms crossed with a serious and worried expression plastered on her face. Standing beside her was Josh with their half Chihuahua and half Pomeranian mix puppy cradled in his arms.

"Are you okay?" She could hear the concern in her roommate's voice as it cut deep into her thoughts. Riley gave a dismissive nod and turned her attention towards the white and light brown-haired furry creature.

"Aww, Lucifer!" She gushed in delight, erasing all thoughts from her mind as if they were never there to begin with. "Are you here to keep me company while Uncle Josh and Maya go on their weekend getaway?"

The couple exchanged odd looks as they watch Riley get giddy with excitement.

"Uh yeah…hello to you too, Riley." Josh greeted with an amused smirk.

"Hi, Uncle, Josh." She got up from the bay window seat and gave him a warm hug, taking the puppy from his arms just moments later. "And hello to you too, Lucifer."

"Riley…" She could feel Maya's studious gaze trained on her. She ignored it, repeatedly scratching the back of Lucifer's ear just as she knew he liked it. "Honey?" Maya cleared her throat as it drew Riley's attention back to the blonde.

"Yes, Maya?"

"You did not hear us come in." She pointed out worriedly. "Is everything okay? Anything you want to talk about?" She pressed, hoping to get something out of her.

There was a moment of silence as Josh stared back and forth between the two in mere curiosity. He noticed the discomfort and confusion on his niece's face, only confirming Maya's suspicions that something was off with Riley. He purposely cleared his throat and grabbed their attention. "Well, I take that as my cue to leave." Josh broke the silence, carefully taking Lucifer from Riley's arms. She frowned, as the temporary comfort she found in holding Lucifer was gone. "I'll be in the room, ladies if you need anything."

"Thanks, Josh." Maya muttered, taking a seat beside her best friend. Silence fell upon them once again as Riley returned her gaze to the window and sighed. She was unsure of where to begin the dreaded conversation. "Talk to me, Riles."

She groaned in exasperation, propping both elbows on her thighs as she absently rubbed her temples in slow circles. "Their ice caramel latte wasn't even that great." She started off slowly. "I was stuck in heavy traffic for almost an hour just to have really shitty latte." Riley frowned causing Maya to furrow her eyebrows in bewilderment. She had to press her lips together from laughing.

"I take it that the appointment didn't go so well?"

Riley started to chuckle awkwardly, a trail of certain bitterness in her tone. There was a sudden pause as she shut her eyes with the image of him flashing through her mind. She released a heavy breath, unsure of how to lay it out on her. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who could help her deal with residual feelings from the past that was drowning her, suffocating her. Feelings she fought long and hard to bury. She needed her best friend to know.

"I saw Lucas."

Maya blinked, her mouth shut in a straight line. She opened them slightly but couldn't find the words. "Huckleberry?" She trailed off, trying to wrap her head around the surprising news. "He's back?"

Riley huffed in frustration and nodded. "He's my client's fiancé."

Maya's eyes widened. "What?! He's getting married?!" She retorted, a disbelieving tone in her voice as Riley's silence gave away the answer. Maya immediately stood up from the bay window seat and began pacing back and forth in front of Riley. "And you're their photographer?!" She yelled. "Oh that is so fucked up! Where is he? I'm going to kick his Texan, country boy ass!"

"Relax, Maya. I'm not doing it." The blond sat back down beside Riley with a perplexed expression on her face. "I sent a lengthy email, made up some bullshit excuse and referred them to a colleague of mine who agreed to do their engagement photos at the last possible second only if I agree to go on a date with him. So they are all set for tomorrow, and as of right now I'm totally free. So it worked out perfectly."

Maya arched her brow. "Oh." They sat in silence for a moment as a playful grin suddenly crossed her features. "So you're going out with that hot photographer from NYU who's been pining for you since junior year?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Maya."

"What?" She smirked. "He's hot."

Riley's eyes slid shut and she brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose, desperately trying to push unwelcome thoughts of Lucas back into the darkest parts of her mind. Maya frowned, gently placing her hand on top of hers.

"Are you okay?" She asked calmly, being mindful of the delicate situation as her voice gone softer.

"Yea, I'll be fine."

"Maybe I should stay."

"Maya…"

"If he's in town, I want to be there for you."

"He's not going to come looking for me, Maya. He's getting married for crying out loud. Besides, I can handle myself." She spoke firmly with a reassuring smile. "Please, just have a good time with Josh."

Maya placed her hand on Riley's shoulder and pulled her into a hug, comforting her with unspoken words. They stayed like that for a while before Maya pulled away from their embrace to look at Riley.

"Alright, but if anything happens—if you need someone to talk to, call me."

Riley nodded. "I promise."

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her phone vibrating against the nightstand beside her. She groaned as the morning sunlight seeped through the pane windows and slowly made its way across the room. She woke up feeling off, like something was going to happen. Not to mention she had a slight pain in her head and her stomach turned uncomfortably.

Riley reached over to grab the phone and noticed her mother's picture flashing on the screen. She furrowed her eyebrows before answering.

"Mom?"

"Hi, sweetie. I'm sorry to wake you."

Riley briefly looked up at the time on the wall clock. "It's 5:30 in the morning. Is everything ok?"

"Everything is okay, honey. I just need a favor from you." There was a brief pause. "Maya's mother called me and said she will be running late. I have to get to the office in about an hour to look over new leads on a case. Do you mind opening the bakery and taking over until she arrives?"

Riley rubbed her fatigue eyes and yawned. "Yea, sure, Mom. I'll get ready now."

"Thank you, sweetie."

Riley lazily got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and got dressed, putting on a pair of maroon jeggings with a black floral top and a jean jacket to go over it. She quickly blow-dried her hair before putting it up in a messy bun. She then looked at herself in the mirror and applied a touch of make-up. Once she decided she looked decent enough to go out, Riley put on a pair of black ankle boots before grabbing her purse from her desk and leaving the apartment.

She got off the subway station and walked a few blocks until she arrived at Topanga's just in time to open. She spotted two staff members and a few dedicated customers she recognized standing outside the shop. She opened the door and stepped inside to officially open the bakery by flipping the "open" sign on the display window and switching the lights on. Her staff walked in and immediately went to work.

"Seriously, guys?" Riley stepped in front of her first two customers as they walked in hand in hand. "It's your first day of Spring Break and the first thing you do is come here?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest. "What happened to sleeping in?"

The young pair looked at each other and smiled. "I haven't slept yet, Ms. Matthews. I just finished playing Assassin's Creed." Riley arched her brow as she shifted her gaze over to the female teenager.

"And what about you, Jasmine?"

"I fell asleep binge watching Gossip Girl."

Riley lightly chuckled in response.

"Anyway, Ms. Matthews…it's Saturday which means Saturday Specials, which also means half-off on Saturday Specials and we couldn't miss it for the world."

She shook her head with an amused smirk. "Well, enjoy. I'll be in the back if you guys need anything."

Riley stayed in her mother's small office in the back of the shop for the past hour, making orders to their supplier and organizing shipment that arrived late last night. A sudden knock on the door caused her to look up from the computer screen as she watched Maya's mother walk in.

"Hey, Riley. Sorry I'm late. I had car trouble on the way and I had to call your Uncle Shawn to help me get the car started again."

Riley smiled in greeting. "Morning, Ms. Hart. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you." There was a brief pause as the elder woman placed her hands on her hips, smiling. "I can take it from here, Riley. You go on home. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang around here."

Riley frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, hoping she can stay a little longer to do some work and get her mind off of things.

"We can manage, Riley. Thank you." Ms. Hart gave her a reassuring smile. "Go on. Have fun on your days off. Live a little."

Riley gave a forced smile. "Okay. But if you need anything, please call me."

"Will do, sweetie."

Riley stepped out from the small office and returned to the front of the bakery. She noticed more customers coming in and filling the empty tables. She briefly said her goodbyes to the staff while grabbing a hot caramel frap to go. She motioned towards the front door and waved to a few regular customers when suddenly she bumped into someone walking in, slightly losing balance as the contents of her drink spilled onto the taller figure's shirt.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry, I—" Riley looked up and realized who she was speaking to. He was close enough that she could see the laugh lines bracketing his eyes and smell the faint trace of his cologne he wore since high school. Her gaze traveled over the rest of his face as they landed on his tempting lips. Her heart constricted painfully as a small tremor worked its way through her body. "Lucas?" She conceded weakly as she dragged in a nervous breath and released it slowly. She was surprised to see him, as his presence was the last thing she was expecting to see.

He weakly smiled, ignoring the scorching hot coffee that seeped through his shirt and burned his skin.

"Hello again, Riley."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think! I'll do my best to update asap.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hey, readers. Thanks for being patient with me. I am doing the best I can to update regularly, but sometimes life happens (lol). Thanks for the reviews, adds and follows. It's what keeps me going and motivated. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Riley blinked, her mouth shut in a straight line as she opened them slightly but no words escaped her lips. She shook her head and mentally cursed at herself as the coffee dripped from his shirt to the floor. The white shirt underneath his outer flannel clung to his very toned body, showing off every carefully trained muscle. She felt her cheeks go red as she immediately looked away in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry," she stammered, turning her attention to the mess she created on the floor. "I didn't mean—I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Riley made a sprint to the napkin holders to help him out, but she forgot about the coffee on the floor and slid. Her feet shot out from under her as she fell backwards and landed on the ground.

Hard.

A groan escaped Riley as bright, blinding lights filtered through her closed eyelids. Her vision was blurred with white spots and her back screamed in agonizing pain. Beyond mortified and even angrier with herself than ever, she closed her eyes and pretended to be anywhere but here.

"Hey." A gentle voice accompanied the hand she suddenly felt on her forehead causing her eyes to jerk open. She found his eyes, green and compelling as ever. She could feel her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"Hi…" She replied hoarsely.

"Are you okay?"

She stared up at him, a myriad of emotions on her face. Her mouth opened and closed but no sound escaped. Riley shook her head, trying to keep her expression neutral and her breathing even. She forced her gaze to Katy Hart squatting over her beside him worriedly. Riley took in their surroundings and noticed they were in her mother's office. She was lying down on the small sofa opposite of where the desk is in the other side of the room. The fine hairs on the back of her neck raised and she couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice when she spoke; not when he had his eyes trained intently on her. "H-how did I get in here?" Riley put on her brave face and looked him in the eyes.

"I carried you." His reply was soft and filled with genuine concern. He studied her carefully and she knew him well enough to know that he was reading her.

"Oh." She muttered, shutting her eyes again with a deep sigh. "Great." She felt the warmth of his hand suddenly leave her forehead as he gently brush a few strands of loose hair behind her ear. The familiarity of his touch against her heated skin was enough to render her motionless. She eventually opened her eyes once more.

"Can you sit up, sweetie?" Ms. Hart asked with growing concern in her voice.

Riley groaned, staring blankly at the ceiling. "No thanks. I'd rather lie here and pretend I didn't make a complete fool out of myself."

She frowned. "Is there anything I can get you? Perhaps something for the pain?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Riley said with a comforting smile to ease her worries. Ms. Hart frowned when she noticed Lucas staring solely at her, never leaving her side the moment he brought her inside the room. It almost reminded her of how Lucas would look at Riley when they were young and so much in love. Katy grew fond of him over the years, watching him grow up to be the young man she knew he would become. It saddened her to see a relationship she believed would last come to an end.

Katy gave Riley a pointed, skeptic look, shifting her gaze from Lucas and then back at her. Knowing their history and watching their relationship develop throughout the years, Riley could see Ms. Hart's protective motherly instincts kick in. Riley simply nodded her head to reassure her. "It's okay."

"Very well." She darted her eyes at Lucas once more before returning Riley's soft gaze. "I'll be in the front if you need anything."

As soon as Katy left the room, Riley sat up on the couch, a little too quickly than she should. She felt her stomach churned as a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Riley…"

The sound of her name being recited in the sweet, timid voice of his was enough to send a chill to run down her spine. She dropped her head into her hands and tried to reel in her shaky, uneven breaths. "I'm fine. I just need a minute." Riley carefully shrugged his hand off her shoulder, not bothering to spare him a look until she was able to keep it together. They shared a moment of awkward silence while he waited patiently on her to speak.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was low and wary causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

"You're apologizing?" He said with a lighthearted chuckle. "You're the one that fell and got hurt."

She scoffed. "Yeah, and if it wasn't for me being such a total klutz, then none of this would have happened."

There was a brief pause as a small grin graced his handsome features. "For as long as I remember, Riley you've always been such a klutz." He teased, lifting some of the tension in the room.

Riley could feel the discomfort lurking in the pit of her stomach as his green eyes stayed lock on her. The moment their eyes met, her brain stopped working. She knew what she wanted to say next, but couldn't formulate a sentence. "I'm sorry." She said again nervously. He heard the uneasiness that tugged at her words, causing him to expel a sigh.

"Riley, it's really no big deal as long as you're okay."

"And I ruined your shirt." She frowned while staring at her feet. Looking at him was causing her heart to race and her emotions to flow through. "And possibly gave you first degree burn."

"Stop." He said forcefully. "I'm fine. And forget about the shirt. I'm just glad you're okay."

A suffocating silence fell upon them as she stared back into the green eyes that haunted most of her dreams and almost lost herself. She struggled to look away and regain the composure she was barely hanging onto. "So what are you doing here, Lucas?" She uttered, barely above a whisper. He gave her a long glance, eyes searching her face as if trying to read something in her expression.

He absently reached for something from behind him and took out what she recognized as her work portfolio. Her eyes widened in response and she swallowed hard. His brows furrowed at the reaction and he could see the objection in her eyes. "Lucas, I _can't_. I _won't_." She rambled on nervously. "You can't possibly ask me to do this for you considering our history together. I just—please. Don't let me do this."

"Riley, I would never let you do something that makes you uncomfortable." He told her firmly and with sincerity. "I just thought you might want this back."

"Oh." She finally relaxed her shoulders and smiled sheepishly, accepting the portfolio from him. "I'm sorry...and thanks."

The silence between them was defeaning. They sat next to each other on the couch, both clamoring for something to say.

Lucas caved in first. "I had no idea, Riley." She turned to him and saw what look like a twinge of regret that crossed his features. "I had Belle take care of all the wedding plans. If I knew…I wouldn't have—"

"I know, Lucas." Riley cut him off with a reassuring smile. "It's okay." She lowered her gaze and sighed heavily, glancing away from him for a brief moment. "I know you were trying to avoid running into me." She recalled the last minute location change as the realization dawned on her and everything fell into place.

He frowned and felt his stomach turned. "It's not that I don't want to see you, Riley."

"You don't need to explain, Lucas. We haven't spoken or seen each other for four years. Why would today be any different?" There was such sadness in his eyes that it was almost impossible for Riley to keep up this no nonsense demeanor. She managed to compose herself despite feeling the cracks of her mask widening. But inside, she was far from calm. "We can just continue avoiding each other."

Lucas blinked rapidly. "Is that what you really want?" He asked carefully as his quiet words fell into the stillness of the clearing.

She swallowed back the painful lump that has risen in her throat. She felt numb, hurt and the bitterness wash over her. She wanted to run away and be as far from there—as far from him—as possible. Just what had he been hoping would happen after four years of no contact? Had he been hoping they would be like the way they were as friends? So many questions came rushing to her head that threatened her sanity. Just what was she supposed to do about this now? How was she supposed to feel?

"You should go, Lucas." Her voice was steady, far steadier than she expected to be. Riley felt her heart clench once she detected what seemed like a flash of disappointment on his face. But she kept it together, pushing all those old thoughts and feelings back behind fresh walls. "Go change and be with your fiancé. The photoshoot is in two hours." She reminded him as she slowly stood up from the couch and grimaced slightly at the lingering pain that resided in her lower back. Lucas immediately stood up, his hands up at a safe distance in front of her as if ready to catch her.

"Are you okay?" The concern returned to his green eyes as he spoke.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She answered while making her way towards the door. She swung the door wide open and turned around to face him, waiting as she made a hand gesture towards the exit.

He was caught off guard, but said nothing and eventually followed her out the door.

* * *

The door opened as Riley looked up to see her father standing in the doorway. Smiling, she stepped inside her parents' home and embraced him warmly.

"Hi, Dad. I brought an assortment of goodies from the bakery." She said cheerfully despite the crazy morning she had. Seeing her father in that moment allowed her to forget, even if it was only for a little while.

"Hi, Riley." He eagerly returned the embrace and smiled as he released her. "It's so good to see you."

Cory Matthews ushered his daughter inside and closed the door behind him. He then joined Riley in the living room couch beside her.

"Is Auggie home?" She asked, looking around the room in search of her brother.

"You just missed him. He went out with his friends."

"Oh," she frowned and gave a light shrug. "More for you then." She grinned, handing her father the bag of goodies.

He chuckled and happily accepted them. "Thank you, Riley. I'll make sure to save some for your brother." There was a pause as they sat in relative silence, simply enjoying each other's company. With their busy lives and less time to get together, just having moments like this was a blessing in itself. He stared at his daughter and knew she had something on her mind. She was nervously tugging at her fingers, slightly distracted and completely lost in thought. "So…no plans for today?" He broke the silence, causing Riley to look up at him with a fleeting smile that was nonetheless sincere. "I remembered your mother mentioning something about an engagement photoshoot that you will be doing this weekend."

Riley didn't answer right away. "Yea…well, that didn't work out."

"How come?"

She began to think about Lucas. He has been on her mind a lot lately since his return and she wondered if now was the time to bring it up.

"Riley?"

She smiled softly at her father, understanding that he was worried as she tried to keep a straight face. "It's Lucas, Dad." She breathed. "He's engaged."

Cory lifted his eyebrows with a mixture of shock and disbelief. He hadn't heard the name come out from his daughter's mouth for quite some time. It almost felt foreign, but very familiar. "Oh…" He felt uneasy. His heart broke even more once he saw the conflicted emotions play across her features. He placed a comforting hand over her shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, careful to not push the subject.

She gave a dismissive shrug and sighed. "I just…didn't think I'd ever see him again, you know?" Her voice was filled with anguish and discomfort as a frown softly formed between his eyebrows. When he didn't say anything, she continued on. "Dad…is it normal to have these residual feelings and thoughts for someone you haven't spoken to or seen for years?"

He looked at her warily for a moment before placing his hand over hers, smiling. "Absolutely, Riley."

She frowned in thoughtful contemplation. "I feel like the world is punishing me."

"Why would you say that?" He asked curiously.

She sighed. "Why else would all this be happening, Dad?"

"Maybe it's the world telling you it's okay to let go and move on, Riley."

She froze, her heart pounding hard against the wall of her chest. She played the words over in her mind, letting them sink in gradually. Could she ever move on from Lucas Friar? The first boy she ever loved.

"And how do I do that?" She asked quietly.

"Well, for starters. I think it's about time that you and Lucas talk about it." Cory suggested. "Seems like there's still unresolved issues that need to be addressed. And I think you both owe it to yourselves to get some closure." He added. "Who knows? Maybe you two can be friends again."

Riley scoffed in reply. "I don't see how we can be friends after everything that's happened."

"He meant a great deal to you, Riley. And judging by how you are reacting and feeling right now, he still matters to you."

Riley flinched slightly. She tried to take in everything her father had said. Deep down she knew her father was right, and that what he was saying made sense, however much it hurt her to admit it.

"Will I ever get past this, Dad? Will I ever get my happy ending just like you and mom?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I know you will."

* * *

 _She sat nervously in front of the bay window of her dormitory with the intent of sharing some exciting news, only to find that her roommate and best friend Maya was nowhere to be found. She pulled out her cell phone and went directly to her contacts, scrolling through the list until his name appeared on the screen._

 _Ring…Ring…_

 _Her heart pounded rapidly as she waited for him to pick up the phone, not knowing why she was nervous. They have kept in contact almost every day since they began college in their respective universities. Whether it was by via phone call, an email or a simple text message, they somehow manage to keep in touch and remain good friends despite being a thousand miles apart. Just why was she so nervous then? Probably it was because she was seconds away from telling him the news that could change everything, and she didn't know how he would react to it._

" _Hello?" His voice sprung from the phone. Her breath hitched, her pulse quickened, and her mouth went dry. The sweet voice she missed so much chimed a wonderful note in her ears._

 _She focused, trying to calculate exactly how long they had been apart. Eight, ten months; close to a whole year. An eternity it seemed._

" _Hey, Lucas!"_

 _She could practically hear him smile on the other end of the phone. "Hello, Riley." Hearing his voice was such a mixture of joy and longing. She wanted so badly to be with him. "What's up?"_

" _I have some news to tell you." She answered cheerfully while staring at the piece of paper in front of her that would change both of their lives. There was a long pause between them as she could hear him breathed into the phone._

" _I also want to talk to you about something, Riley." There was hesitancy in his tone of voice that made her heart beat a tad faster. He sounded more serious than usual as she heard him suck in a deep breath._

" _Okay…you go first."_

" _So, I've been thinking a lot these past few weeks. About us." He began nervously. "We've always been so good about talking to each other openly and honestly. And the last thing I want is to keep anything from you."_

" _What is it, Lucas?" She asked, her voice barely there as she gripped the phone tightly in her hand._

" _I'm seeing someone, Riley."_

 _Everything around her started to spin. It suddenly became harder for her to breath and see straight. "W-what?" Her voice broke, swallowing roughly against the lump in her throat._

" _There's this girl I met who is also in the athletics committee club. We hung out a few times, and…I think I really like her."_

 _She sat in stunned silence for a long time and tried to organize her thoughts. She blinked, dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say, what to think. This was something she thought might eventually happen, that Lucas would move on without her, but it hurts that it could happen so quickly when she was still holding on to the hope that one day they will be together again. She clamped down her eyes as tears began to press against the back of her eyelids. "Riley, you still there?"_

 _She cleared her throat, trying so hard to disguise the pain in her voice. "Yea, um…that's great, Lucas." She leaned into the phone, her body trembling with the weight of what was happening between them._

" _Are you okay about this?" Lucas was quick to reply and she could hear the worry in his voice._

 _She forced herself to smile. She didn't want him to hear her cry. So she held back the best she could throughout the conversation. "Of course. I just want you to be happy, Lucas."_

" _Thank you, Riley. I want the same for you too."_

 _Silence greeted them for a moment as the pang filled her chest. Quiet tears began to stream down her cheeks with lips pressed firmly together from sobbing._

" _So what's the good news you wanted to share?" He asked, pulling Riley from her thoughts._

 _She solemnly looked down at the letter in front of her, hesitating for the briefest of moments as she silently read the fine print of her acceptance letter and eligibility for transfer to Texas A &M University in the upcoming school year. She shut her eyes, her voice dropping to a whisper as she crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it across the room. _

" _It's nothing."_

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts and let me know what you think. I plan to have Lucas' perspective in future chapters as well.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks for all the adds, alerts and the wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Lucas Friar was perched on the edge of his four-poster bed, the same one he slept in when he first moved to New York from Texas years ago. His hands gripped tightly on the edge of the mattress, his fingernails digging in to the blankets without even realizing it. Lucas' eyes were fixated on the shadows illuminating on the floor, his thoughts a million miles away. He could have been sitting there for hours. All sense of time seemed to have escaped him as he sat there deep in his own thoughts, struggling to escape from them. Visions of Riley danced in his mind. It was an image he could not shake off. Though his gaze bore onto the floor, it was her that he saw. Time certainly did well for her as she looked beautiful, if not more beautiful than when he last saw her four years ago. He also noticed how'd she change. She was 22, and carried herself in such a mature and womanly manner, but still held the quirkiness that made her Riley.

A gentle knock on the door was enough to stir Lucas from his thoughts as he looked up and saw his fiancé and future wife, Belle stood by the door. "Oh hey, you're up." He quickly attempted to compose himself, rapidly fixing a smile on his face. "I made breakfast." The long legged auburn-haired beauty motioned towards his direction, handing him his coffee mug as she takes a seat beside him.

He smiled at her. "Thanks, babe." Lucas drank his coffee slowly, letting the warmth spread through his body. Silence hung over them as the hot liquid immediately awakened his senses. She watched him as he slowly traced the rim of his cup in deep thought. She wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but before she could, he was looking at her.

"So what time is your flight?" He asked, taking her hand in his. He idly stared at the exquisite, sparkling diamond ring on her finger before putting it up to his lips.

Belle smiled at the sweet gesture and felt her heart flutter at the contact. "In two hours." She answered, looping her arm around his and resting her head on his shoulder. "You sure you can't come with me to Maine?" She asked dejectedly.

"You know I wish I could be there. But I have to stay for the externship." He reminded her.

"I know." She sighed, biting her lip. She then looked him over and smiled. "Are you excited?"

He nodded eagerly in response. "Yea, I heard great things about this organization. So hopefully it turns out well."

"I'm sure you'll do great as always." She said with a reassuring smile. "Animals adore you and so do I."

Lucas smiled, completely in awe with the woman beside him. He often wondered how he got so lucky to have such a treasure in his life. "Thanks." He gently placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "So how long are you staying in Maine?"

"For a week. Going to look at some dresses with the girls, spend some time with Dad and then I'll be heading back to Texas for work."

"I'll try to be back home during a weekend if it doesn't get too busy at the hospital."

"You better." She leaned forward, her lips completely pressed against his. He smiled into it as they kissed again and again, each kiss more intense than the last one. He pulled her against him as he deepened the kiss some more. Lucas pulled back then, their eyes were dark with lust and their breathing was ragged. Belle stood up in front of him and guided him onto the bed. She looked up at the clock and then turned back to him. "How long until you have to be at the hospital?"

"I have to leave here in 15 minutes." His reply was instant, telling her he wanted this as much as she did.

"Think you can do it?" She challenged, slowly unbuttoning his dress shirt.

He grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I know I can."

* * *

 _His mother was away for the weekend, visiting family in Texas. He had the whole house to himself, so he invited his girlfriend over to finish up a presentation they have to present in their history class the following week while also filling out college applications. They had plans to meet up with their friends later that day, but both decided to stay in and watch a movie she brought over for them to watch._

 _They were sitting comfortably on his livingroom couch, a romantic comedy playing in the background that neither of them was really paying attention to. Her head was resting on his chest while his one arm wrapped around her shoulder. She lifted her chin up, offering her lips for a kiss. With a slight grin, he bent down and brushed his lips tenderly against hers._

 _The atmosphere between them changed, charged with an electric, exhilarating anticipation. Their hearts were racing, their heads spinning into oblivion. It was one of those kisses where one loses oneself entirely, where the world ceases to exist. As their kisses turned more hot and passionate, his arms tightened around her. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer, shifting her position so she was on his lap, straddling him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shivered slightly as his cool hands traveled from the side of her waist and brushed her skirt further up her legs, fingers skimming over her suddenly hot skin. She responded enthusiastically, pulling his green collared shirt over his head and began running her hands over his toned, bare chest. He stood up, with her legs wrapped securely around his waist and laid her down gently on the couch._

 _He hovered over her, bracing himself with one hand planted on the couch. His lips strayed down her neck and trailed kisses across her collarbone. His other hand was on her waist, fingers sliding beneath the hem of her top, brushing against her skin and sending chills to run down her spine. She softly gasped at the contact, causing him to pull back immediately. She furrowed her eyebrows, her breathing heavy as she sat up on the couch beside him._

" _What's wrong?" She asked as she looked at him with eyes full of confusion and concern._

" _I'm sorry, Riley." His chest was moving up and down rapidly, his eyes darker than she had ever seen them. "I didn't mean to get carried away."_

" _But I was." She said instantly. He glanced at her, reading her expression. He saw only genuineness with hint of vulnerability. He could read her every emotion in those brown eyes of hers and he knew in that moment she wanted the same thing as he does._

" _What are you saying?" He asked, slowly and deliberately._

" _I want you, Lucas." She whispered, cupping his cheeks between her small hands and staring deeply into his soft gaze. "I'm ready."_

" _Are you sure about this?" He asked worriedly, careful to not push her into doing something she was not ready for. "Is this what you really want?" She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She pulled back from him and smiled. It was all the reassurance he needed._

" _Absolutely."_

 _Within the next few seconds, Riley pulled her floral top over her head and had her lips back on his, getting lost in each other all over again. They had spent the entire night exploring each other, taking the time to memorize every vivid detail of their bodies, every sound and movement._

 _Nothing ever felt more right than this moment for either of them. It was everything they imagined it to be, and so much more._

 _It was perfect._

* * *

Lucas opened the door of the Friar residence and found himself outside, already feeling the warm morning sun on him. With his messenger bag over his shoulder, he began his walk in the direction of the nearest subway station that would take him to Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Care in Downtown NY.

The station was only five minutes away and he noticed there were already a lot of people heading in the direction of the underpass. Lucas found himself in the middle of a small crowd that had formed on the way as he descended down the stairs of the underpass next to the sidewalk. He motioned towards the newspaper stand and helped himself to the newest issue of New York Times and put it in his messenger bag. He looked up at the screen above, which showed how much time was left for the subway to come, but luckily it was only three minutes away until the next one. It wasn't long before the ground began to slightly vibrate and the noise grew louder. Soon enough, Lucas was able to see the rusty looking subway come into view and eventually come to a halt.

The crowd of people hastily entered the car along side him, and he barely managed to find himself an empty seat. The subway stopped frequently on the way and waves of people got in and out of the car. He had a few more stops to go until he reached his destination as he took out the newspaper from his bag and started reading it to pass the time. Even though he was immersed in the newspaper, reading about current events and sports, he noticed the crowds of people through his peripheral vision. It wasn't until the next stop when the announcer's voice in the subway car said they reached Greenwich Village that his nerves started acting up. He knew his gut was telling him something was about to happen. Lucas felt a mixture of joy and anticipation as his eyes scanned the crowd for something. And just as if the universe read his mind, he heard her.

" _Maya, I just got on the subway. Uh huh. Yea, I'm heading over there right now."_

Before he could even spot her in the crowd, he knew exactly whom the voice belonged to. It was a voice that had been seared into his brain for years. His eyes led him to the source of the sound and when he saw her among the busy crowd, his heart nearly fell.

" _Yes, I got it. Don't worry. I'll call you once I find out anything. Ok, I'll see you tonight. Bye."_

The car was completely packed. All seats were filled as the rest of the people were forced to stand up and hold onto the rails. She was among the unlucky few as he watched her through the chaos that lay between them, struggling to put her smartphone in her crossbody satchel bag while holding a small puppy in her arms. She leaned her back against one of the rails to keep balance and returned her attention to the puppy with a worried expression on her face.

He stared at her for a long moment, drinking in all the familiar features. Her long dark brown hair cascaded down past her shoulders in subtle curls with light make-up, just enough to make her brown eyes pop and lips full. She wore a jean jacket over a green dress, the skirt slightly a few inches above her knees, showing off her slim toned legs. In his mind, she was absolutely gorgeous as the sight of her nearly took his breath away.

The puppy suddenly released a soft bark at the back of its throat, pulling Lucas out of his trance. Of all the people it could be staring at, the creature was staring at him for a long moment than a normal puppy and human could stare at each other.

"Lucifer…" He heard her say in a warning tone as it barked again, this time more forcefully than the first one. _'Cute name'_ he thought as the puppy wagged its tail and wiggled in her arms. He could see her arms were struggling to hold the excited puppy. "Lucifer!" The puppy eventually forced its way out from under her hold and pranced down the aisle. "Lucifer, get back here." She huffed, following after the puppy that completely ignored her as it plows forward through the crowd. Lucas' smile brightened once the puppy stopped by his feet, leveling its front paws on his leg with its back paws resting on the floor. Before Lucas could kneel down to scoop him into his arms, the puppy jumped clumsily onto his lap. It circled Lucas' lap several times before settling down with a contended sigh. "Lucifer!"

Lucas looked up and butterflies fluttered in his stomach as soon as their eyes connected. He smiled the smallest smile he could muster, just enough to make sure she knew he was happy to see her. She stood at a safe distance from him with her one hand securely wrapped around the rail to keep from stumbling as the car started to move again. There was a pause and he can hear her soft intake of breath. "Lucas…" She blinked in surprise. She glanced between him and Lucifer, and then back at him.

"Long time no see, Riley." Lucas mused to himself, a smirk slowly forming upon his lips as her expression shifted between surprised, agitated, delighted, and finally amused.

"I'm so sorry. He is still a puppy and has the tendency to get distracted."

"It's okay." Lucas started, not ready to give up the pet to its rightful owner as he began caressing the soft white and brown fur on the puppy's back. The pup sniffed softly before licking Lucas' face once and going down to sit back on his lap.

Riley smiled, leaning against the railing with her arms folded across her chest. "He likes you. He usually doesn't go near strangers."

"Well, he has excellent taste in humans." He grinned, finding pleasure in the soft sound of her giggle. "Is he yours?"

"He belongs to my Uncle Josh. I'm doggy-sitting while he and Maya are away for the weekend."

He nodded, slightly taken aback by how their conversation was going. He didn't expect for it to go down as if what transpired between them at Topanga's didn't happen. She was slowly opening up to him. Even if it were small talk, he would take anything he could get just to have her speak to him again. "So where are you heading?" He asked.

"To the animal hospital downtown."

"BluePearl?"

Her brows flew upward in surprise. "Yea, h-how'd you guess?"

"That's where I'll be doing my externship." He grinned. "Today is my first day."

Her eyes lit up as a proud smile fell upon her lips. "Oh wow, I didn't realize you were still in school. I assumed you already graduated."

"It's my last semester. I have four more weeks to go."

"And you chose to do your externship in New York?" She questioned.

"Well, New York is still home." He smiled. "With the engagement photoshoot and the wedding taking place here, I figured I'd stay here for the next four weeks and get some things done for the wedding while Belle is in Texas."

"She's not here?" She frowned, her voice filled with genuine surprise.

"She just left to visit family in Maine and then she will be heading back to Texas." He explained.

"Oh." She was silent for a few seconds. "That's great, Lucas. I'm really happy for you." Riley said quietly with a small smile. He really looked at her then and noticed a pensive look that settled on her features. He could see her slowly withdrawing from him once again, putting up fresh walls with a guarded expression. Before he could say anything, the car came to a complete stop as the announcer's voice in the car said they reached Downtown New York, their destination.

"Well, that's my stop." She hastily took Lucifer from his arms and carried him, waiting for the people in front of her to get off the subway train. Lucas stood up from his seat and released a steady breath, trying to loosen his nerves.

"Riley…" Lucas spoke softly, causing her to turn back around to face him. "Since we are heading to the same place, I thought maybe I could perhaps accompany you?" He asked nervously as if he was afraid of what her answer might be. She looked confused at first, but nodded all the same with a small smile.

"Sure."

They ascended up the stairs of the underpass and began walking together in the direction of the animal hospital. A pleasing silence stood with them as they enjoyed the blissful morning sunlight silhouetting the street buildings. Lucas would steal a side ward glance in Riley's direction and watched her mostly stare at the ground as she walked in deep thought.

"So you never mentioned why you're heading to the animal hospital." He said, pulling her from her thoughts as she shook her head and looked up at him.

"It's Lucifer." She sighed. "He's been shaking his head and vigorously scratching more than usual. I took him for a walk yesterday and noticed he could barely keep his balance."

"It could be an ear infection." Lucas suggested, staring at the pup whose head was now resting on her shoulder.

"You think so?"

"It's common."

She frowned as they turned at the corner and spotted the animal hospital building across the street.

"Look, by the time we get to the hospital I'll be happy to take him in first and run some tests just to see what's really going on."

She smiled in relief. "Yea, that would be great. Thank you, Lucas."

* * *

It didn't take very long for Lucas to get acquainted with the staff and the organization. Working as a Veterinary Assistant for a few years and gaining the experience in every clinical setting throughout his education made it easier for him to fulfill his role. Under the direct supervision of a Veterinarian, who seemed to be pleased by Lucas' knowledge and expertise, Lucas was able to assess, examine and run tests on Lucifer to confirm a diagnosis he suspected all along.

"Just as I predicted, Lucifer here has an ear infection." Lucas returned to the waiting room where he saw Riley standing up from her seat and motioning towards his direction. With the puppy in his arms, Lucas handed him back to Riley.

"Will he be okay?" She asked worriedly.

Lucas reassured her with a smile. "He will be fine. I cleaned and medicated both ear canals. Here's the prescribe topical medicine that needs to be applied daily." He handed her a small box of the medication with written instructions. She looked back at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Lucas."

"You're welcome, Riley."

There was a moment of silence as they stood there, facing each other with the sounds of animals and their grumbling owners in the background waiting to be seen. She made no move to go as he waited, debating about whether or not he should ask her. These last few moments with Riley made him realize how much he missed having her around. He missed their conversations. He missed how they can talk about anything and everything. He did not want any of that to end. He was determined to see her again. "Well, I should go and take this little guy back home." She said, breaking the lingering silence that seemed to go on forever. "Thanks again, Lucas."

"Hey, Riley?" He called out to her nervously as she stopped and turned. She stared at him with searching eyes.

"Yea?"

"I was wondering, if you would meet with me tonight for dinner…or coffee, just somewhere we could talk, and catch up."

She looked at him skeptically. "I can't. I have a date tonight."

"Oh." He frowned momentarily when he noticed a sparkle in her eyes. It was stupid, but he couldn't help the faint twinge that accompanied the thought. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Just the thought of another man looking at her, talking to her and falling in love with her was something he couldn't digest. "Boyfriend?"

"No, just a date."

"Well, how about tomorrow night?"

"Lucas…" She warned. "What are you doing?"

The eyes had a way of telling much more than words ever could. That was what he could pick up from her, as she stood hesitant and nervous before him. She had so much hidden behind those brown eyes and the longer he stood without speaking, the more he wanted to know what's keeping her from seeing him.

"Look," he said quietly, catching her eyes. "I know things have changed. But the Riley I remembered once told me that I would still be in her life, and that we would always be friends no matter what happens."

She regarded him carefully. "We haven't been friends for a long time, Lucas."

"I know," he sighed, "and I'm sorry for how things turned out between us. But I still want us to be friends. I still want you in my life, Riley."

She was quiet for a long minute. She held Lucas' hopeful gaze and gave him a hint of a smile, one that made his heart flip. She drew in a nervous breath before answering. "Meet me at Topanga's tomorrow night at 7."

He grinned at her, already looking forward to the day to come. "Okay, I'll see you then."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hello, again my fellow readers. Thank you for the adds, alerts and the kind reviews! Just from reading what you guys have to say, I know the majority of you are wondering when will that moment happen when things just come out. Well...you just have to keep reading to find out (lol). Again, thank you for your continued interest in the story. Your words have continued to inspire and motivate me. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Riley stood on top of the Empire State Building, her gorgeous brown locks flying wildly around her face. She was staring out into the horizon, her eye pressed against the viewfinder of her camera. The sun was just barely rising, casting the sky in a stunning golden and red color along the edges of the city skyline.

With just a click of her camera, Riley captured the spectacular view before her. She stopped to admire it, lowering her camera to take in the sight for herself and revel in the essence of being in the moment. She could see the whole city from up there, and the figures of people wandering below.

Riley sucked in a deep breath and took in the crisp morning air that New York had to offer. She shivered slightly, just noticing how cold it really was for early Spring. Staying up all night and walking around New York wearing a knee length red dress under a light black blazer did her body no favors in retaining warmth. She put her camera back into its bag and pulled her blazer tighter around herself as she reached her pocket for her phone.

It was 6:15AM.

"Hey, gorgeous. I got us some coffee." Came a familiar, masculine voice that pulled Riley from her fixed trance as he handed her the coffee. She slid her phone back into her pocket and smiled, relaxing as she gently took a sip of the warm liquid. "Your favorite too and just how you like it." He added with a wink.

She looked him in the eyes. Staring at them had her mesmerized within seconds. They were wonderfully grey as it took her back to the previous night on their date just hours ago. They had dinner at an Irish pub in Midtown Manhattan and spent the rest of the night gallivanting in the city and taking endless pictures of the nightlife New York has to offer. Time seemed to have escaped them as the night turn into morning, and they found themselves enjoying the view on top of the Empire State Building. It was romantic nonetheless and the perfect end to a successful date.

"Thanks, Philip."

"Anytime." He responded, returning the smile with his own.

Silence fell upon them for a few moments as she averted from his gaze and took another look at the magnificent view. She was starting to feel the effects of staying up all night, the coffee doing absolutely nothing to keep her from sleepiness as she downed the rest of the coffee. A yawn escaped her lips and she began squinting in the blinding sun. Keeping her eyes open was becoming a painful struggle.

Philip noticed and had to press his lips together from laughing. "Alright, sleeping beauty. Let's take you home."

She released another loud yawn, cupping her hand over her mouth. "Yes, please." They took one last look at the view before turning around and heading back towards the direction of the elevators. Riley smiled when she felt Philip's arm wrapped around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head gently on his.

They walked side by side to the nearest subway station, not bothering to get a cab to go just a few blocks. They dodged a wave of people heading for work as they arrived just in time to catch the next subway train. They stepped inside the car and sat down on one of the many empty seats. With her head still resting on his shoulder, Riley's eyes began to slowly drift to sleep and she felt her consciousness ebbing away. She forced her eyes open as she sat upright, trying to fight off sleep until she got home.

"You know you can take a nap." He said, slightly nudging her shoulder with a smile. "We still have a couple more stops to go."

Riley nodded absently as her tired eyes drifted to the SLR camera that hung around his neck. Her brows perked up and she looked at him, using what's left of her energy. "I didn't get a chance to look at the pictures you've taken from last night." She smiled. "May I?"

"Of course." Philip handed her the camera as Riley began browsing through the photos. He had a natural talent and an incredible eye for lighting and detail, which showed through his work. Most of the pictures he took were of buildings against the beautiful night sky, the flashing signs and lights in Times Square and a few candid pictures of herself and random strangers. She smiled and laughed as she continued looking through the photos in complete amazement.

It wasn't long until Philip turned to Riley and saw her expression change. Her previously joyful expression turned stoic in a matter of seconds as he shifted his curious eyes to the camera and noticed she was now looking through engagement photos taken over the weekend.

"Oh." He frowned. "I didn't realize they were still on there. I could have sworn I deleted them once they were transferred to the computer." He explained.

Riley said nothing as she let her gaze linger on the happy, smiling image of the couple with the beautiful view of Brooklyn Bridge behind them. She tried to hide the mild look of sadness that crossed her face as she stared down at the photo and shut her eyes, all trace of happiness gone. Her emotions had been clearly visible on her face as she could feel Philip's inquiring gaze resting on her. She looked at him and forced herself to smile. "They're beautiful." He could recognize the unmistakable pain in her voice as she handed him the camera. "Thanks."

He gave a weak smile, concern now residing in his eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked, breaking the brief silence between them.

She turned to him and forced a smile, one that he could see right through without even trying. He could feel her stiffen beside him and he knew her sudden discomfort had something to do with the engagement photoshoot she practically begged him to do. He wondered about it, but never questioned it. He had a pretty good idea, but doesn't dare to mention it. He did not want to push her into something she was not ready to talk about. "I'm fine." Riley answered as she stared back at Philip's curious expression, forcing unwanted thoughts and feelings from her mind. With a frown spread across his handsome features, he didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded anyways.

"Well if you need _anything_ though…need _someone_ to talk to," he emphasized, his stare a lot more intense, "just let me know, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, looking at him seriously for a few seconds before smiling.

They reached Riley's destination stop a few minutes later as they got off and began ascending up the stairs of the underpass. After walking a few blocks having said nothing to each other, they arrived outside her apartment building.

"Thanks for walking me home. I had a great time on our date." Riley said, her voice barely louder than a breath as she turned around to face him.

"Me too." He gave her a charming smile and she felt her resolve weaken. He nervously buried his hands in the front pockets of his black pants, shifting his weight from one foot to another. "We should do it again sometime."

Riley bit back her reply and couldn't fight the smile that was threatening to take over her face. Without saying another word, she took a few determined steps toward him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He felt his face reddened at the unexpected contact, a warm glow taking over as he grinned at her.

"Goodbye, Philip."

"Bye, Riley."

And with one final look, she turned around and headed towards her apartment, a contented sigh escaping her lips. Riley turned her key in the lock and stepped into the living room, not surprised to find that her roommate and best friend was sitting by the bay window waiting for her. Riley groaned silently when she sees a wide grin grace her lips.

"Oh great, you're up." She mumbled sarcastically, not looking forward to the conversation that was about to take place.

"Riley Matthews! You naughty girl!" Maya gasped, placing her hand over her heart dramatically as she stood up and motioned towards her. "Did I just witness you doing the walk of shame?"

Riley rolled her eyes and trudged over. "Does it look like I have a serious case of 'bed head'?" She scoffed. "And if I was doing the walk of shame, Maya I would have done it as privately as possible."

She frowned and then shrugged her shoulders. "So I take it your date with photographer hottie went well?" She asked with a suggestive smile.

"He has a name you know. " Maya continued staring at Riley, her already wrinkled brow furrowing in expectation, waiting for her to elaborate. Riley had to stifle a laugh. "His name is Philip."

"Yea, whatever. So what were you two doing all night hmm?" She went right to the point, eagerly following Riley, as she lied down sprawled on the couch, leaving no room for Maya to sit. "I want details. Now." She demanded, lifting Riley's legs and placing them on her lap as she sat down at the other end of the couch.

Riley yawned. "We had dinner, walked around the city, went to a few bars and took pictures everywhere." She smiled, staring up at the ceiling in wonder as she recalled the events of last night. "It was…amazing, Maya. I haven't felt this carefree in a long time."

Maya's gaze glinted with excitement. "So…was there a kiss?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow and causing Riley to look back at her shyly.

"I um gave him a goodbye kiss on the cheek."

"Oh." Maya frowned in disappointment. "Damn. I was hoping for something hot and heavy."

"Maya!" Riley suddenly couldn't stop her cheeks from blushing.

"I'm kidding." Maya lightly chuckled in amusement. Riley joined her just seconds later despite her growing fatigue. Once the giggles have subsided, she continued on. "So does that mean there will be another date in the near future?"

She shrugged. "Yea, maybe." Riley yawned again. She was feeling even more tired, basking in the comfort of the couch and throw pillows that surrounded her. She stared up at the ceiling as her eyes began to slowly drift to sleep, slipping off into darkness.

* * *

Riley woke up to the sound of keys jingling in the locks. She grunted in response and slowly turned so that she was lying on her side, her eyes still half closed. She watched the door open as her Uncle Josh stepped inside the apartment.

"Oh hey, niece!" He greeted cheerfully. "Good you're up."

Riley slowly changed position so she was sitting upright on the couch, outstretching her arms as far as they could. She proceeded to push aside the blankets that draped over her while she was asleep and swing her legs over the side of the couch. The curtains were closed and the lights were dim, thankful for the gentle lighting in the room as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Hi, Uncle Josh." She yawned, lazily looking up at the wall clock. It was already past 2 in the afternoon as she felt her stomach grumble, realizing she hasn't eaten anything all day. "Where's Maya?"

"I just dropped her off at the art gallery." He replied, taking a seat beside her on the couch. "Apparently there's a potential buyer for one of her paintings."

Riley smiled, a hint of sparkle in her eye. "Well, that's exciting."

"Yea, it is."

Silence fell upon them as Josh rubbed his hands together; already feeling the nerves get the better of him. His eyes got all serious and she sensed the discomfort playing across his features. She wondered what he could be possibly thinking about that was making him appear nervous and fidgety before her. It was very unlike him as the growing concern reached her eyes. A few seconds passed and Riley could feel another rumble coming on as she put both hands on her stomach and pressed hard. But it didn't stop it from rumbling as Riley's stomach rumbled again even louder. Josh turned to her with an amused smirk, giving her the hint that he heard it.

"There's something I need to ask you." He said carefully. "But first, go shower and get dressed. I'm taking you out to eat."

Her eyes brightened. "Don't have to ask me twice!" Riley exclaimed excitedly, and without hesitation, she jumped out of the couch and headed straight to her room. She took a quick, warm shower and got dressed within 10 minutes, wearing dark blue fitted jeans with an ivory lace off-the-shoulder top. She stood in front of her bedroom mirror and blow-dried her hair before curling her brown locks into nice subtle curls. She then applied a touch of dark eyeliner and shadow to make her eyes pop before putting on natural pink colored lipstick. She stared intensely at her reflection and smiled once she managed to get rid of the bags under her fatigue eyes. After she was finished getting ready, Riley immediately grabbed her purse and sweater and headed to the livingroom where Josh was patiently waiting.

"Impressive." He said with a nod of approval, following Riley out the door as he grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger. "You definitely don't take as long to get ready as Maya does."

"Well I'm hungry, so everything I do is twice as fast." She reminded him.

He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah, okay. Good to know."

They ended up taking a taxicab to a steakhouse near Hell's Kitchen, one of Josh's favorite places to eat. Riley agreed willingly to his suggestion, too hungry to decide where to have her first meal of the day. She was craving for anything and everything at this point.

As soon as Josh and Riley reached the semi-casual restaurant, they stepped inside and were immediately seated by the window that overlooked the busy streets and tall buildings of Hell's Kitchen. The restaurant manager gave them their menus to look over while they helped themselves to a free appetizer of fresh baked bread and butter. Just moments later, the waiter took their orders and returned with two glasses of water.

"I thought you would already had lunch by now." Riley began as she grabbed the piece of bread from the basket sitting on the table and buttered it generously with a knife.

"I had a sandwich earlier." He answered. "And besides, I always make room for steaks."

"Pig." She retorted teasingly.

Josh arched a brow in amusement as he watched her devour the bread within seconds. "Look who's talking? Can't even save me a piece."

She shrugged absently. "I haven't eaten all day. What's your excuse?"

He chuckled in response. "Okay, you got me."

She smiled, grateful for the bread that's settling in her stomach. "So what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

His eyes shifted and he cleared his throat, doing his best to look cool, calm and collected. "Okay." Josh took a deep breath, giving himself an internal pep talk. He clasped his hands together on the table, a nervous smile forming on his lips. "I'm going to ask Maya to marry me." Riley blinked at him repeatedly, the sudden news slowly settling in her head. She was silent, as her eyes grew wide. When she didn't say anything, Josh continued on. "And I wanted your blessing before I ask her."

"W-what?" She said, her adorable voice wavering as if she was holding back tears. "Really?"

Josh smiled. "Yes, really."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Riley's hands covered her mouth in shock as tears were beginning to build in her eyes.

"Oh my God." Her heart was filled with such unimaginable happiness and contentment she could barely contain her emotions. "B-but…why are you asking me?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be asking Maya's mother for her blessing?"

He nodded in reply. "And I will eventually. But you're also the most important person in Maya's life. So it just seems appropriate for me to ask. Besides, I remember long ago you weren't too keen about the idea of Maya being your aunt."

Riley laughed at the memory. "Well that's before I knew how much you meant to her." She said, her gaze softening as she wiped at her tears. "I can't imagine Maya being with anyone else, Josh. You two are meant to be together. So hell yes, of course you have my blessing!"

He felt his body relax as a languid smile of relief crossed his features. Riley tilted her head to the side, studying Josh carefully as the thoughts and memories of him finally admitting his true feelings for her best friend all those years ago came flashing before her. Despite the three year age difference that became a huge factor and trying time during the early stages of their relationship, Josh waited until Maya turned 18 to finally be with her. "Thank you, Riley." He said, feeling some of the weight being lifted off his shoulders. "That means a lot to me."

"Aww, come here." Riley cooed as she got up from her seat and pulled him into a warm hug. They stayed in each other's embrace for a long moment, taking comfort in the contact and the presence of each other. A contented sigh escaped her lips. "I love you, Uncle Josh."

He smiled, tightening his hold around her. "I love you too, niece."

Josh held her close for a few more moments when suddenly he felt her body tense up and quiver against him. With her face buried in his chest, he heard a muffled sob come from her as he pulled away and looked into her eyes. The happy tears that once filled them were occupied by sheer sadness. He saw the raw pain in her eyes. It looked like an open wound that had slightly begun to heal only to be ripped open again and made worse. He swallowed as he placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to desperately understand the reason behind her tears so he could cease them.

"Riley, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and forced a smile. "It's nothing. I'm just happy for you that's all."

He gave her a pointed look that said he knew she was hiding something from him. "Riley, I know you." She finally looked up so her eyes met with his. She couldn't lie to him. She still couldn't get the words to leave her mouth as it hurt her so much just thinking about them. She could feel more tears fill her eyes. She told herself she wouldn't let herself get upset like this, but it was proving much harder to do than she had first thought. She knew it wouldn't be easy but she thought she would have had a stronger grip on her emotions by now.

"Come on, Josh this is not about me." Riley spoke between shimmering tears that were steadily streaming down her face at an alarming rate. "We should be celebrating you and this huge step you're about to take."

"Riley..." He looked at her worriedly as he paused before speaking again. "You're my family. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything. Please." She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Talking about it would only make her upset and cry some more. So she tried to calm herself down, not wanting to shed more tears in front of her uncle.

"I..." She whispered brokenly, unable to disguise the hopelessness in her voice as fresh tears filled her eyes. "Everyone around me is so happy, Josh and I tried my best to remain optimistic and hopeful through the years, but all I get are empty promises and words that don't mean anything." She sighed heavily as the look of pain and anguish settled in her features. "For as long as I could remember, I always thought _he_ and I would—" Riley stopped in mid-sentence, sadly shaking her head in defeat. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Riley," he spoke sternly, well aware of the past that seem to never escape her no matter how hard she tried. He wanted nothing more than for her to finally move on and be her true happy self again. "You will find someone." He reassured her with a smile. "I know you will. And from the looks of it, you already have. You just need to give him a chance, and let _Lucas_ go." She shot him a look, her lips slightly parting at his words. Just hearing his name was enough to render her speechless. "You need to tell him _everything_. The _truth_ , Riley. And then you can finally move on."

* * *

 _Her eyes slowly opened as the sunlight streamed through the window and made its way across the room. She woke up early in the morning, way earlier than she would've liked as a soft yawn escaped her. She took in her unfamiliar surroundings and she brought her hands up to rub the sleep from her eyes. She then stretched, throwing her arms above her head, then made her move to get up, only to be held in place by strong arms that snaked its way around her bare stomach, pulling her closer against his warm body. She smiled and felt his heart beat steadily beneath her naked back while her own pulse raced with sudden excitement._

" _Morning, beautiful." He said softly. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned towards him, the sheet from the bed just covering her. She pulled it up slightly and a smile came to her face. Memories of the night before immediately returned to her. It was their Senior Prom as it pretty much lived up to every single expectation she has had since she started watching teen romance movies. From the beautiful streamers and balloons that decorated the hall, to the music they danced to all night, to the nicely decorated hotel he booked for them where things got hot and intense fairly quickly._

 _It was perfect._

" _Morning." She replied tenderly, taking in the sight that was Lucas Friar. Her eyes followed the lines and shadows on his bare chest, marveling at his perfectly tanned skin and well-defined body. He was lying on his side with his head propped up on one hand. He released his other arm around her waist and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before leaning down slightly and giving her a small kiss._

" _So last night was amazing." He said with a smirk that turned into a full smile._

" _Which part? Prom or the after the party."_

 _He grinned. "Both."_

 _Riley felt warmth rush to her face as she turned away in mild embarrassment. Everything about that night burned in her memory. She remembered the passionate kisses that trailed down her body causing her heart to beat erratically against her chest. She could still feel every touch that lingered on her burning skin, his hands worshipping every inch of her, and the way he would reverently whisper her name and cause her body to shiver with pleasure._

 _He let his eyes wandered over her beautiful and radiant features, his stare burning intensely into her brown orbs. He was doing it again. Giving her the kind of stare that made her blush like crazy, make her knees go weak, and gave her that warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. He had the most sincere look in his gaze, that burning passion she loved so much about him. She eyed him curiously and let herself smile._

" _What?"_

 _He stared at her with loving eyes, a warm smile on his face. He scrambled for the right words, the right phrases to express what he had been thinking that would describe the feelings that coursed through his veins every time he looked at her._

" _I'm going to marry you someday, Riley Matthews." He whispered, his fingers lovingly glided along her every curve starting from her knee and working their way up to her cheek._

 _They locked eyes for a long time, both not daring to breathe, and not daring to look away. It was one of those moments as she held his soft gaze; a genuine smile slowly working its way up to her face. His intent gaze on her was enough to make her believe every word he was saying._

" _Oh?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "You think so?"_

" _Yes." He replied determinedly, taking her delicate hands in his and planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. He then looked back at her and smiled. "I know so."_

* * *

 **A/N:** *Whew* Thanks for reading. Any thoughts? Please let me know what you think! Already in the middle of working on the next chapter, so stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks for the new adds, alerts and kind reviews! It always makes my day brighter just reading what you guys have to say. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

"Unbelievable." Maya huffed in frustration with her arms folded across her chest. She was sitting on the edge of Riley's bed, staring at her best friend's reflection in the bedroom mirror as she finishes getting ready. "You and I haven't had a girl's night out yet, and then I find out you're going to see Ranger Rick?" She stared at her in mock disbelief. "Why?"

Riley turned around to face her, a conflicted frown settling on her expressive features. "He wants to sit down and talk. He kind of backed me into a corner. I couldn't say no." Maya raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate some more. Riley released a heavy sigh as she motioned towards Maya's direction and took a seat beside her. "He seemed really serious about wanting to be friends again."

"Friends?" Maya scoffed, followed by a forced laugh that was laced with bitterness. "Honey, you and Lucas can never be _just_ friends."

Riley bit her bottom lip in thoughtful contemplation as silence fell upon them.

"It doesn't hurt to try."

"Riley…" Maya scolded her lightly. "What are you trying to get out of this?"

"I don't know? A moment of clarity?" Riley flung her arms in mid air and shrugged, groaning in exasperation as she did so. "He was a big part of my life, Maya. And he was yours too." She reminded her, her voice filled with raw emotion. "That just doesn't go away. He's here now, and he's trying to make an effort and I'm—" Riley paused in mid-sentenced, vehemently shaking her head as a frustrated sigh slipped from her lips. "I've been hiding and pretending that everything is okay, but it isn't. And I'm tired, Maya. I'm tired of not being able to move on from the past because of the choices I made." Her hard gaze softened a little as a look of understanding crossed Maya's face. "I need to fix it."

Maya felt an aching in her chest as she continued staring at Riley. She could see the moisture and years of unresolved pain in her eyes that she desperately tries to hold back. Maya was silent for a few more moments before replying. "Okay."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Okay?" She questioned, a disbelieving tone in her voice. "That's it?"

Maya nodded. "If you feel this talk with Lucas will give you the closure you need, then I won't stop you." Riley gave her a prompting look, urging Maya to continue. "I just want you to be happy."

"I know." She said softly as a sincere smile work its way up her face. "And thanks…for always being there."

"Well, duh I'm your best friend. It's what I'm here for." Maya placed her arm around Riley's shoulders and pulled her into a warm hug. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

Maya pulled away from their embrace and looked her in the eyes. "Promise me that we will hang out before Spring break is over."

Riley gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise."

"And that one of those days will be a double date with you, me, Josh and photographer hottie."

Riley's smile suddenly turned into a serious frown. "What?"

"Alright! Sounds great." Maya was giddy with excitement as she clasped her hands together happily. "I'll plan it out. This is going to be so much fun!"

"B-but—"

"Good luck with Lucas. I hope you find what you're looking for." And with that said, Maya swiftly left the room and shut the door behind, leaving Riley dumbfounded.

"Oh, I'm going to kill her." She muttered to herself as she glanced back at her reflection in the mirror and smiled.

* * *

Riley stepped outside, the sunset approaching beyond the horizon, painting the clouds amazing shades of pink, orange and blue. It was breathtaking as she stopped to breathe in the pleasantly warm Spring air and enjoy the soft breeze grazing her skin.

Riley arrived at Topanga's shortly after, not surprised to see the place filled for a Tuesday night during the dinner rush. She remained outside, watching the commotion through the window as she scanned the crowd, looking for him. The majority of the customers were high school students, most of whom she recognized. Her young brother Auggie was among them as he sat at a table with his off-and-on girlfriend Ava along with their two friends Jasmine and Eric.

By the time it reached 7PM, Riley's confidence was beginning to wane as the irrational anxious feeling inside her chest took over. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this, unsure of how the night will play out. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, so many things left unsaid. But as time grew closer, Riley had the sudden urge to just turn around and leave, to never look back and close that chapter in her life for good. It was what she had been trying to do for the past four years.

Closing her eyes, Riley shook her head as if to block out the thought of him and redirect her attention to the clear night sky. It was peaceful and quiet, providing her with a sense of calm from the paralyzing swirl of emotions. She looked upward and saw the stars were flickering brightly, illuminating out constellations she knew by heart. Staring at them, she knew she wasn't ready to step inside to face him.

Suddenly Riley felt the need to turn around as if there was something that required her attention. She shifted slightly to her right, glancing over her shoulder and found herself staring at his gorgeous emerald eyes. There he stood before her, looking ever so handsome in dark jeans and a short-sleeved black and white plaid shirt that showed off his toned arms. For a split second their gazes lingered longer than necessary as she wondered how long he had been standing there with that entranced smile of his gracing his adorable face. She had to give herself a minute to breathe at the mere sight of him. "Lucas…"

"Hi." He greeted as the sound of his voice eradicated the reassuring calm she felt not too long ago.

"Hey." She answered nervously. She could feel the panic wash over her as her stomach tightened into a knot. All the things she wanted to tell him suddenly escaped her as she find herself unprepared and dreading this moment.

"I'm glad you can make it."

Riley forced a smile, her brown eyes staring deep into his emerald ones. "Yea, me too." She replied, trying so hard to steady her nerves.

"Coffee?" He asked, gesturing his eyes and head towards the entrance of the bakery.

"Sure."

He opened the door for her like the gentleman he is as she hesitantly stepped inside first and was greeted by the wonderful smells of baked goods and coffee that filled the air. She searched the room through the crowd of people with a few familiar faces staring back at her. Riley smiled as soon as she found an empty seat in the back corner of the room. Lucas offered to get their drinks at the counter as she began making her way towards the table booth in the other side of the bakery, grateful to have a moment to herself to gather her thoughts together.

"Hi, Ms. Matthews."

As soon as Riley sat down, she looked up and was approached by Jasmine who left her group of friends at their table and took a seat in front of her. A playful grinned crossed her lips causing Riley to raised a curious brow at her. "Hello, Jasmine," she greeted with a friendly smile. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Yea…" she smirked, her gaze shifting from the tall handsome figure in front of the cash register counter to Riley. "So…who's the super hot guy you're with?"

Riley blinked, her mouth shut in a straight line as she opened them slightly, but couldn't find the words. She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment. "Um…well, he's an old friend." She explained.

"Well Auggie says you two used to date."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh did he now," she said with clenched teeth and a forced smile. She threw a glare at her brother's direction who was engage in some conversation with his friends before turning back to face Jasmine. "I'll make sure to thank him for sharing that bit of information."

The young teen noted her discomfort as an amused smirk crossed her face.

"So anyway…have you decided where you'll be going next year for college?" Riley asked curiously, switching to more appropriate and safer topics.

Jasmine shook her head. "Nope. Not yet. Still weighing on my options." Riley nodded in understanding. Jasmine then averted from her gaze and looked up when she sees him approaching their table. She grinned at Riley once more. "Well, I should get back to my friends. Your date is heading this way."

Riley groaned in reply. "Jasmine, this is not a date."

"Whatever you want to believe, Ms. Matthews." She smiled teasingly before leaving the table to join her friends in the other side of the room.

Just moments later, Lucas returned with their drinks as he carefully set her coffee on the table in front of her. "Who was that?" He asked, occupying the seat across from her.

"Thanks. And that was Jasmine." She answered. "One of my high school students I'm counseling."

His eyebrows flew upward in surprise. "So on top of being a photographer, you're also a student counselor?" He asked incredulously as she nodded in reply. "Is there anything that Riley Matthews can't do?" He teased, earning a shy blush from her.

Riley quickly changed the subject, diverting the attention away from her and asked Lucas about work.

"So…how's the externship going for you?"

"It's going well. Today was more of an orientation day, you know…going over tedious paperwork and watching outdated videos."

She laughed. "Sounds…exciting."

"Oh very." He smiled, reaching over to the center of the table to grab a few packets of sugar. "So how's Lucifer?"

"He's doing better from what Josh tells me. Still scratching more than usual though."

"Symptoms should start to wear off within a week or two. If there are no improvements within a few days, have him come by at the hospital for a check up. I'd be happy to take a look at him and run more tests."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Okay, will do."

Riley was taken aback but how well this was going so far. She pictured how this would turn out, replaying different scenarios in her head. She found herself so comfortable in his presence as the conversation flowed smoothly from one topic to the next. It was incredible how easy it was for them to slip back into it as if the past four years had been a mere five minutes. He was still easy to talk to and she couldn't help but feel please that despite everything they've been through they can still engage in small talk. It gave her a sense of hope that perhaps they can be friends after all this.

They sat and drank their coffee in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's company. Riley then looked up and noticed he was in deep thought, staring fixedly at his coffee. "Lucas?" She pulled him from his trance, concern now clouding her features.

"Hmm? Oh I'm sorry." He shook his head and lightly chuckled in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to space out like that."

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, just stressing about what to bring." She furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment, allowing Lucas to continue. "It's my supervisor's birthday tomorrow. There's a potluck at the animal hospital and I offered to bring dessert…except I can't make any." He frowned helplessly causing a laugh from Riley. He glared at her. "Hey…I'm a little offended that you find my lack of baking skills amusing."

"I think I can help you with that."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Well we do catering here."

He smiled.

"Any idea of what kind of dessert you were planning to bring?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Any suggestions?"

She pursed her lips in deep thought. "I may have a few ideas. Wait here, I'll be back."

Just moments later, Riley returned from the kitchen with a tray full of individual slices of assorted pies, cakes, puddings, cupcakes and cookies.

"Whoa." His eyes widened, surprised to see all the desserts she'd brought in for him to try. "Why is there two of everything?" He asked curiously.

"You really think I'm going to just sit here and watch you eat all of that by yourself?" She smirked. "Not a chance, cowboy."

"What are we in for?" He joked.

Riley detailed all of the desserts on the tray. Pointing to the red velvet cupcake, she noted, "This one is our most popular, and your favorite from what I remembered."

"And still is." He commented, taking a bite of the cupcake without hesitation. "Mmhmm. Delicious." Lucas goes for another bite and when he looked up, he noticed that Riley had some cream cheese filling on her chin. He grinned. "Oh you have some icing on your chin right there."

She attempted to look down at it, and then tried to lick it off, but failed miserably. Lucas laughed at her silliness. "Here, I'll get it." He reached over, wiping it off her face with a stroke of his thumb. The sensation was startling familiar as his gentle fingers lightly grazed her cheek, and Riley found herself thrown back into the memory of those same fingers ghosting across her skin and causing her body to tremble. She felt the once-familiar jolt of electricity at the brief contact. And when their eyes locked, she knew without a doubt that he felt it too.

"There, all gone."

She smiled shyly. "Thanks..."

She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies room. I'll let you try these and decide on a dessert. I'll be back."

He nodded. "Okay."

She hastily got up from her seat and headed towards the direction of the ladies' room. Once inside, she closed the door behind her, leaning her head wearily against the wood for support. She could feel her own heart beating rapidly against her chest, mentally berating herself for sinking into the depths of Lucas Friar.

The simple gesture and his familiar touch left her confused and vulnerable. Worst of all was the feeling of utter defeat of knowing that she had used her reserves of strength and had reached her breaking point. She gathered herself together quickly and returned to the table.

"Hey, I'm sold." Lucas smiled once he spotted her approaching their table. "I'll have two dozen of the red velvet cupcakes."

She sat down in front of him, a serious expression residing on her face. Riley shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking down before tucking a strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear. She met his gaze and released a heavy sigh. "I can't do this."

He stared at her questioningly. "You can't order me red velvet cupcakes?"

"No. This." She gestured between them. "Whatever this is. I just…I can't do it." Her gaze wandered off his eyes and settled on the floor, feeling her heart constrict painfully at the realization that they could never be _just_ friends. There was too much still between them, too much history, and some residual feelings. She wasn't quite sure what these feelings were or what they meant but she would not act on them. Not as long as he belonged to someone else. That simple fact alone was enough to break her heart.

He blinked, taken aback by the sudden change of direction this conversation was heading. "What? You can't be friends with me?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Four years of not speaking and now you want to be friends?" She questioned, anger and hurt radiating from her as she stares at him. No matter how much time elapsed, the way things were left between them would always hurt.

"Okay, what the hell just happened? Was it something I said?" He hissed, careful to not draw attention. "Because just a few minutes ago, we were just talking and things were going well, or so I thought."

"You can't just come back into my life and expect things to be right again, for things to be like how they used to be." The shock of her assumptions hit him like a wrecking ball.

"How is that even fair? You're the one that broke up with me remember?" His voice was calm and steady, complete opposite of how he was really feeling in the moment. He didn't want to lose it in front of her and cause a scene, so he took a moment to carefully choose his words. "You gave up on us. You gave up on me, Riley." He replied sadly, his expression daring her to deny the truth.

She swallowed as his words stung her. She hated this, hated fighting with him as it suffocated her. "I never gave up on you, Lucas. It was _you_ who gave up on me." She sucked in a deep breath and felt her voice cracking at the admission. She looked away, not trusting herself to look at him. "Not even a year into college, and you found someone else." She added with a bitter laugh, feeling the warmth of tears fill her eyes. "You moved on. And it was stupid of me to hope that there was still a chance for us when I was about to—" Riley stopped herself, realizing what she was about to say as her eyes grew larger in response. She then shook her head and took a step back, steeling herself. "Never mind. Forget it. You're right. This is my fault. Let's just forget any of this ever happened."

Lucas stared at her in confusion. "You were about to what, Riley?" He stood up from his seat the moment she got up, frustration evident in his features.

"It's nothing." She replied, unable to disguise the hopelessness in her voice. "Forget it."

She grabbed her purse and turned to leave, only to be stopped by her brother standing right between her and the exit.

"Auggie?" She breathed out in surprise. "What are you doing?"

He looked at her and frowned as the anguish played across her face. He couldn't bear to see his sister look so defeated as his gaze softened, determined to put an end to this. "Are you going to tell him or should I?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Auggie, please…" she begged of him, "stay out of this."

He gave her an apologetic look before turning his head to face Lucas. "She got accepted to Texas A&M." He blurted out as Riley paled a little, all traces of the calm vanished from her face. "She was going to transfer there just so she could be with you."

Lucas didn't move. His brow was furrowed and his green eyes were dark and clouded. A mixture of confusion, disbelief, hurt and betrayal was clear in his expression. He looked back at her, the shock registering on his face.

He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. " _What_?"

* * *

 **A/N:** *Whew* Okay, that was a hard chapter to write. Thanks for reading. Any thoughts? Please share and stay tune for more. I'll do my best to update asap.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hello again, readers! Thanks for your patience. I know I suck for leaving such a cliffhanger and taking weeks to finally update. My apologies. It's been a hellish few weeks at work that it took time away from writing. But I hope the wait will be worth it. Thanks for the lovely reviews, adds and alerts. Reached 100+ reviews, which is a huge motivation booster, so thank you! This chapter is a continuation from the previous one, so it is a bit shorter than the rest, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

The tension in the room was thick, almost palpable even with the only audible sound being their soft and shallow breathing. Emotions were running on high as Lucas stood frozen in place, his heart clenching in his chest. Everything and everyone seemed to swirl and fade around him. It was almost as if the world itself was frozen in time together with all its sounds and shadows. Lucas looked past Auggie and turned his eyes towards Riley. He could see the discomfort clear in her expression as she swallowed nervously and blinked, her voice suddenly robbed from her throat. "I'm sorry, Riley." He heard Auggie say softly as the look of hurt and disappointment twisted her features. "I just couldn't let you go on like this. I hope you can forgive me."

Auggie kept a neutral gaze as he briefly glanced over at Lucas before turning back to his sister. She had been so incredibly stupid, thinking she could get away with it and move on with her life. But somewhere in the back of her mind she knew keeping the truth from him was going to come back to haunt her.

Riley's head fell forward then and she shut her eyes, inhaling sharply to steady her breathing. When no further words were spoken from either one of them, Auggie turned around and exited the bakery, rejoining his friends as they disappeared around the corner.

Seconds and minutes have elapsed between them as Lucas and Riley stood in agonizing silence. Being alone with her caused his emotions to spring back to life. There was a mixture of frustration, anger, hurt and confusion as he felt a tremor run through him. To say that Auggie had taken Lucas by surprise with this new information was an understatement. He had never even entertained the possibility of Riley dropping everything she had going for her in New York to move across the country to be with him. Just the thought that he could have had her all those years ago and continued where they left off in high school taunted him silently.

"Riley…" Lucas said calmly while slowly advancing towards her. She kept her gaze fixated on the ground, refusing to look at him. "Riley," he repeated, his voice rising as it garnered stares from neighboring customers. She goes to take her leave, deciding that it's probably best to have this conversation outside as he followed her behind. She pretended she didn't hear him when his next words gave her pause. "So is it true?" He asked brokenly as soon as they stepped outside into the crisp night air. "Were you really going to transfer to Texas A&M?" He asked with an expression that begged her to tell him the truth, even if it hurt him.

Riley's emotions were beginning to fail her once again as she turned around with tears in her eyes. The anguish that twisted his face was momentary, but it still caused her to reign in an unsteady breath. "Yes," she said at last.

His jaw was clenched and he chewed on his lower lip, trying to prevent himself from showing any outward reaction to her words. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" Lucas demanded sharply while looking her dead in the eyes.

"After you told me you were seeing someone else?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "You were moving on, Lucas. I wasn't about to mess that up and make a complete fool of myself."

"You should have told me." His voice was strained, ignoring the pain that squeezed at his chest. "We were supposed to be open and honest with each other, remember?"

She meekly shrugged her shoulders, forcing herself to smile. But it was false and disappeared instantly. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Lucas' eyes widened. "It doesn't matter anymore?" He questioned, a hint of frustration breaking through his thick emotional barrier. "It does matter, Riley! You can't just keep something like this and tell me it doesn't matter because guess what? It does matter!"

"Why?" She retorted abruptly as tears came streaming down her face. "It's been four years! Why should it matter now?"

"Because if you would have told me then, I would have run back to you in a heartbeat." He replied calmly, his serious gaze never leaving hers. She remained speechless, knowing that the time had come for them to both be honest with each other about the present and about the past. "You broke up with me, Riley. And for the longest time I thought perhaps I wasn't good enough for you. That you no longer needed me…wanted me. That you stopped loving me," he trailed off as a soft sigh escaped his lips. "So I tried to move on. And I did."

Riley wiped at her tears as a pained half-smile fell upon her features. "I never stopped loving you, Lucas." She whispered, gripping the hem of her skirt nervously and releasing a deep shuddering breath. A long moment passed between them as the anger melted from Lucas' face and he sadly watched one tear slide down her right cheek. Riley continued on, promising herself she would get through this. "Yes, I was afraid. But how could I not be? Distance changes people, Lucas and people change. You know that more than anybody. But that didn't stop me from hoping and believing that one day we would get back together when the time was right." Riley's voice was shaky and scared, and she felt so sorry, because in truth, Lucas was and will always be a great guy and he didn't deserve what she was doing to him. He had every right to know. "And then you tell me you were seeing someone else."

"Riley…" He breathed. And then he felt it. The connection he always had with her was strong enough that he could feel her sadness radiating through his body as it absolutely killed him. Not knowing what was hurting her all those years ago until now drove Lucas insane.

"No, it's okay." She said with a look of grim acceptance. "I'm not surprised. I knew you would find someone one day." He shook his head slowly, trying to process everything she had just told him. "You're an amazing guy, Lucas. I just want you to be happy."

He shut his eyes as he fought off the cloud of emotions that coursed through his body once again. With his chest heaving and mind racing, he wanted the thoughts to stop. "Wow…" Lucas muttered, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead. "We've always been terrible at clearly communicating our feelings." He said flatly as a statement of fact.

His response was rather unexpected as Riley gave a light chuckle. "Yea, we suck." She added, relieving some of the tension that lingered in the air. He smiled back, but his features fell quickly. They stared at each other in heavy silence as his lips pressed together into a tight line.

"So where do we go from here?" He prompted breathlessly, forcing her to return her gaze to his gorgeous face.

"Well," she took a deep, heart-steadying breath. "You are going to marry the woman you love, and I can finally let you go and move on."

His lips slightly parted. "So that's it? We just move on with our lives."

"Yes, Lucas."

"And where does that leave us?"

Riley let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I care about you, Lucas and I'll always will. But we can't be how we used to be as friends."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust myself with you."

Lucas could feel his heart shatter into billions of pieces. He was shocked that while he wanted nothing more than for them to be friends and remain in each other's lives, she was constantly throwing him more reasons why they shouldn't. His brows furrowed with confusion as he looked at her, pondering whether or not she was being serious. "What?"

She averted from his hurt gaze, pushing shaky hands through her brown hair and released a heavy sigh. "I can't do this right now, Lucas. I'm sorry."

Lucas shifted his weight uneasily between his feet. He knew she didn't want to talk, but he felt there was much more she wasn't telling him. "No." He said, closing the distance between them in a few short strides. Lucas wouldn't have it. He was determined. "Everything is out in the open now, Riley. You might as well tell me." He searched deep into her brown eyes as though trying to find the answers for himself.

"Tell you what, Lucas? That every time I'm with you the feelings start coming back and I'm doing everything I can possible to not react to it?" She said, her voice cracking and very low, the pain of just being with him now coming to the surface. "Don't you get it, Lucas? This is hard for me. You moved on and fell in love all over again when I wasn't able to." His heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest that he could scarcely breathe or believe his own ears as his silence allowed her to continue on. "What I need is some time. And until then, I can't be that person in your life anymore, Lucas. Not when you belong to someone else. So please…let me go."

She tried to make her way past him and leave, refusing to give him any sort of look to let him know what she was dealing with inside of herself. He reached out for her arm then and she found herself allowing him to pull her, the warmth of his touch causing her body to react in ways it hadn't since they last stood this close. With his piercing green eyes locked on Riley's, he observed the pinkish hue of her cheeks and the perfect shape of her lips. He took a step closer and felt her breath slightly hitched. When she leaned away, he found himself leaning toward her. She wasn't sure her heart had ever pounded so fast in her life as she lost control of her emotions.

"Lucas…"

And then his lips were on hers, cutting off anything else she was going to say. Riley was about to push him off, but the way his lips ran across hers, it felt right in that moment as she found herself kissing him back. It was a slow, tender and warm kiss. Her mind was racing as his lips moved effortlessly against hers. Lucas' lips were so familiar, powerful and sensational that it was impossible for Riley to not lose herself in it. His hands settled on either side of her face, his thumb running along the curve of her cheekbones. Butterflies were exploding in her stomach as Lucas kissed her intensely, drowning in the sensations his soft lips were giving her. His blood simmered pleasantly at the feel of her soft lips moving against his. Every nerve in his body was tingling.

But suddenly, she pulled away. When his eyelids fluttered open, she was staring at him, her eyes wide in shock. A sense of dread slowly spread through him once he realized what he has done.

"Riley, I'm so s-sorry."

She took a few steps back away from him, bringing her trembling hand to her lips. Her eyes were welling with tears again much to his dismay. "I got to go."

Time stopped and they just stared at one another. She could feel his hot gaze on her as a wave of emotions washed over her. She bit her lip, clenching her gut and trying to not let them get the best of her again.

"Riley…"

"Goodbye, Lucas." She tells him with finality in her tone of voice.

He grimaced and it took every nerve ending in his body to not go after her as she hurriedly turned around and walked away. Lucas looked on sadly, her figure slowly disappearing in the distance as he painfully watched her go.

* * *

Riley returned to the apartment that night faster than she ever could in the past. Her mind was racing as she struggled to insert the apartment key inside the keyhole with shaky hands. "Damn it, come on." She muttered in frustration. Once she finally got the door unlocked, she palmed her eyes and slowly controlled her breathing, not wanting anyone to see her in this state. She then made her way to the door and grasped the handle, taking a deep calming breath before opening the door. She stepped inside, kneeling her head wearily against the wood as soon as she closed the door behind her. Riley instinctively touched her lips, still feeling the warmth behind the kiss that left her even more confused. But something in that moment shifted, something monumental as it gave her a dangerous hope in her chest that perhaps he felt the same way about her as she always had with him.

"Riley! I'm glad you're home." Came that familiar, excited voice that belonged to none other than her best friend, Maya. "I have some news to share with you."

Riley looked up to face her, forcing a tentative smile. "Listen, Maya. I have something to tell you."

Her Uncle Josh suddenly stepped out from Maya's room as he stood beside his girlfriend with wide grins plastered on their faces. Riley arched a brow in curiosity until her gaze caught something shimmering brightly from Maya's hand. She knew in that moment what they were going to tell her. Riley's brain, however seemed to be working at a much faster pace as she threw herself back to what happened between her and Lucas as words of congratulations escaped her.

"Josh proposed!" Maya shrieked, lifting her hand in front of Riley to reveal the gorgeous ring. "We're engaged."

Riley swallowed nervously, half-smiling at the news. "I kissed Lucas."

Josh and Maya's faces fell instantly, their eyes widening in disbelief. Their excited expressions were replaced with absolute shock as silence lingered in the air. "Uh oh." Riley heard Josh mumbled under his breath as she nervously shifted her gaze over to Maya.

She blinked, her lips pressed into a thin line as she calmly stepped in front of her. "You did what?!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Any thoughts? Please share them. Stay tuned for more. =)


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hello, again to all my fellow readers. Thanks for the kind reviews, new adds and alerts! Sorry for the late update…again (lol). Believe me, I am doing the best I can to make sure I get these chapters up. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Lucas rubbed the bridge of his nose. His hand was busy shifting through the insurmountable number of papers and charts that lay on his desk. His mind drifted aimlessly, unable to focus on the task at hand. He looked up at the clock. He had two hours left till his shift ended, as time seemed to drag on longer than usual. Things were moving rather slowly at the hospital with only a few clients and their animals that dropped in.

He leaned back against the swivel desk chair and turned his gaze over to the small window. He found solace in the silence of being alone in the office as he absently watched the sun set behind the tall building across the street, flooding the sky with blue and orange. He released a deep sigh, trying in vain to push away thoughts of Riley. Looking at the sun, it reminded him so much of her—warm, bright and radiant as she drew him in the moment they locked eyes in the subway and guided him with her light during his darkest moments. It has been a few days since he last saw her and everything he had found out. He was doing his best to not think about it, but nothing has improved, as his mind seemed to drift back to her.

Then there was the kiss as it made his head spin and stomach turn. He couldn't comprehend what happened that day. All he wanted was to stop thinking about it to spare himself the stress and agony that would inevitably come with reliving the memory, but he couldn't. It was something he just could not forget.

Suddenly his phone buzzed next to him and he quickly picked it from the desk next to the computer, thankful for the temporary distraction. He glanced down at the small screen and felt his stomach drop as soon as her name and picture flashed before his eyes. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before answering.

"Belle?"

"Hey, babe." His fiancé replied cheerfully on the other end of the line. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

He shut his eyelids closed, shielding himself from a reality he was too afraid to face; a reality in which he betrayed his fiancé, his future wife and partner. He felt a rush of self-hatred take hold of him as his face twisted in agony. "No, you didn't. Your timing is perfect." He said, tying to keep his voice even despite the turbulent of emotions he was feeling. "It's slow at the hospital. I was just…sorting out paperwork." He stammered nervously. There was a brief pause as he took another breath. "What are you up to?"

"Well we just got back to Dad's after a day of trying out dresses with the girls."

He smiled, realizing how much he missed her just by hearing her voice. It sounded so much like when they were together as he envisioned her standing in the quiet kitchen, holding the phone to her ear. "How did that go?" He asked curiously.

"It was fun. A bit tiresome trying to find the perfect dress for the girls, but I think we found the one that everyone can agree on."

"That's great."

Silence passed over them as Lucas raced to find his thoughts. There were so many emotions clouded together and he was finding it difficult to control every single one of them.

"You okay?" She asked worriedly, noting the discomfort in his tone of voice and the lingering silence that stretched between them. The sweet, concerned whisper that now emerged snapped him back into reality. For a moment he had forgotten her existence on the other line, more lost in his tentative and troubled thoughts than ever before with the image of Riley and their kiss still fresh in his mind. "You sound…distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just—" He felt the words get caught in his throat. He could almost feel them roll off the tip of his tongue, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. He took a moment to gather his thoughts together with the guilt and shame flooding through him. "Belle…" he murmured with slight hesitation. "There's something I need to tell you."

Lucas could feel his composure breaking down; his tough outer shell cracking. How could he even begin to tell the woman he plans to marry that he kissed someone else who was also his first love?

"S-something happened," He swallowed painfully, causing a muscle in his jaw to twitch. "I—" He whispered into the phone and stiffened immediately. He bit down his lower lip, cursing himself for not being able to get the words out. He realized then, he didn't want to have this discussion with her on the phone. He wanted to see her and talk face to face.

He owed her that.

"Lucas, what is it?"

Before he could respond, a sudden knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, forcing him to look up in the direction of the only door in the office. He ran his fingers through his hair in a distressed motion and sighed. "I'm sorry, Belle but I got to go. Duty calls."

"Okay…" Her voice was tinged with worry as it made his stomach clench. The thought of keeping something from her was driving him over the edge. "Call me later?"

"Yea, of course."

"I love you."

He shut his eyes, taking a moment to calm himself. "I love you too."

He ended the phone call with a quick swipe of his thumb, idly tossing his cellphone to the side with the rest of the paperwork. Propping both elbows on the desk, Lucas absently rubbed his temples in slow circles. He was desperately trying to push unwanted thoughts of Riley, the kiss and how he was going to break the news to his fiancé into the darkest parts of his mind. It was all too much as the realization of the damage and hurt he had caused to both women swept over him.

Another knock sounded and he sat up abruptly, forgetting about the person behind the door. Lucas cleared his throat before answering. "Come on in."

He watched the door slowly crack open. A young redhead, who he recognized as the receptionist, peeped her head inside, smiling. "Hi, Mr. Friar?" She greeted shyly.

"Hi, Aurora. And please, just call me Lucas." He smiled back. "What can I help you with?"

"Someone is here to see you." She answered.

His brows flew upward in surprise, not expecting to be seen by anyone late in the hour. "Great, let them in." Aurora stepped out and someone else entered in her place. Lucas looked up and watched as a familiar blonde stepped inside the office. His eyes widened slightly and he smiled.

"Maya?" He blinked, taking a moment to recognize her soft features, a round face, accompanied by piercing blue eyes and medium-length straight hair. She wore a pale yellow-laced dress with a long sleeved black blazer. She sure had grown up in the last four years they had been apart. The pretty young blonde he grew up with had evolved into a gorgeous young woman.

"Huckleberry." She smiled in greeting as he stood up from his chair and gave her a warm hug. "It's been awhile."

"It sure has." He grinned, pulling back from their embrace as he motioned for her to sit down on the empty seat in front of him.

They sat in silence for a few moments before either one of them said anything. Lucas watched as her eyes wandered aimlessly, observing their surroundings until her gaze fell upon his. He knew her well enough to know that she was trying to read him.

"So…she's pretty cute." Maya began, gesturing to the door where the receptionist stood not too long ago. "Has she hit on you yet?" She teased as Lucas shook his head in amusement. Leave it to Maya who sure knows how to break the ice. "Because I could have sworn when I asked about you, her face literally just lit up."

Lucas groaned as he could feel his face turn a darker shade of red. "Believe it or not, Maya but not everyone tries to hit on me." He informed her with slight irritation and embarrassment. Despite four years of no contact, it amazes him how easily it was for them to get right back into as though it was only yesterday since they last said anything to each other.

She rolled her eyes. "Yea, okay. Maybe not everyone, but most of them do. That includes men too." She added with a wink.

Lucas glared at her. "Anyway…" he groaned, trying to brush off his discomfort and move on to a different topic. He averted from her gaze then and noticed the shiny princess cut shaped diamond white gold band on her ring finger. He looked back at her, a surprised and genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Wow…Congratulations, Maya." He said excitedly, pointing to the ring as she turned to meet his gaze. There was tenderness, love, trust and even protectiveness behind her bright eyes as it warmed his heart to see how truly happy she is. It was what he always wanted for her, to be happy. "I'm assuming the lucky guy is Josh."

She blushed before answering. "Well of course! Who else would it be?"

Lucas absently shrugged his shoulders. "Farkle." He replied with a playful smirk.

Maya's eyes narrowed on his, knowing that he was trying to get one over her. It felt like they were back in middle school, going back and forth with their quirky banters as it comes naturally to them. If she was to be completely honest with herself, she missed it. She missed having him around and talking to him. Just sitting with him at that very moment made her feel like the fallout of their friendship within the last four years was a thing of the past. "What?" He grinned. "He did propose first."

"That did not count." She protested. "We were in middle school. And I said yes to the ring."

Lucas laughed lightheartedly. "I'm kidding, Maya. You and Josh are great together. I'm happy for you." He replied genuinely as his expression turned serious for a brief second with all jokes aside. "You'll make a beautiful bride."

Her gaze softened. "Thanks. And congratulations to you too, Lucas." She smiled. "Riley told me you were engaged."

She immediately noticed the flicker of emotion that crossed his face as he forced a smile; feeling like Maya was about to corner him with questions he knew was coming. "Thanks."

Something about his expression and the tone of his voice told her the conversation had shifted. With everything she had found out, his reaction and sudden discomfort didn't come as a surprise to her. They were back to the awkward silence as Lucas averted from her gaze, afraid to even look at her. He was fully aware that she already knew.

"So…I'm curious." Maya said after a stretch of silence that had gotten uncomfortably long. "Does your fiancé know about Riley?"

The smile faded and she was surprised to see how lost, conflicted and hopeless he looked. The initial purpose of her visit was to give him a piece of her mind, to tell him to stay away from Riley and to protect her best friend at all cost. But that plan backfired as Maya found herself in a situation where she wanted to protect them both.

Lucas sighed heavily, feeling the turmoil swell over him. "No," was his response as a look of disbelief crossed Maya's features. They went quiet after that. The only thing that graced their ears was their soft breathing.

"Do you still love Riley?"

Lucas knew he was holding his breath, but he couldn't command his body to breathe. He paused for what seemed like an eternity before answering. "Does anyone truly grow out of loving another?" He asked uneasily, his expression growing somber by the second. Maya gave a sincere smile.

"I suppose when you truly care for someone you never really stop."

They locked eyes, a look of understanding shared between them.

"Anyway, I don't want to keep Riley waiting on our girls night out. Finally." Maya added with an exaggerated groan. Lucas smiled as he could picture the two running around the city causing all sorts of trouble. "I just came here to see how you were doing."

He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

Maya looked at Lucas's fallen face with shock. She didn't expect for him to actually think she stopped caring. "I like to believe that we are still friends."

"Even after everything?"

She smiled. "Yes, Huckleberry. Even after everything. None of what happened matters anymore. It's all in the past. And...I still care about you." She admitted softly. "Well…sort of. But don't get used to it and don't you dare tell anyone I said that."

He chuckled. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, Maya. And I still care about you too. Always have and always will."

Following what she has just heard, Maya reached over across the desk, placing a comforting hand on top of his. She gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled.

"Good."

* * *

Lucas returned home late that night, much later than he expected, as he stopped by at a nearby sports bar for a few beers and allowed himself to get lost in the memories plaguing his mind. But the alcohol did little to nothing in providing him any comfort to his problems as he returned to his home disappointed.

He lied down in silence for the longest time, staring at his bedroom ceiling and trying to get some sleep. But sleep felt miles away and every time he closed his eyes, the image of Riley re-entered his thoughts. He was staring at the ceiling so intently, he was hoping that if he stared long and hard enough, it could somehow give him a sign that would answer all of the million questions swirling around wildly in his mind. But of course, the ceiling provided nothing and Lucas was left glaring upwards for what felt like ages.

As the minutes ticked by, the heaviness of sleep fell over him when suddenly the sound of the doorbell resonated throughout the house. He groaned, rolling over to his side and looking up at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was past 2AM as he furrowed his eyebrows, wondering who it could be.

Then there was silence as Lucas remained still, thinking it could have been teenagers pulling a silly prank in the middle of the night. But the doorbell rang the second time as he reluctantly sat up on his bed and quickly put on a white shirt. He rolled out of bed, groggily padding across his bedroom and towards the front door. Rubbing his fatigue eyes, he opened it, too tired and lazy to check and see who it was through the peephole.

"Hello, Lucas."

Upon recognizing the voice, his eyes widened as he opened the door and felt his heart stop.

He swallowed hard. "Belle?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts. A few more chapters left to the story, so stay tuned!


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hello, to all my awesome readers and new followers. Thanks again for your continued interest in the story and for your kind words. They continue to motivate and inspire me. So again, I appreciate the support. I apologize for taking awhile to update, _again (I know I'm terrible)._ But this chapter in particular was a difficult one to write considering I had different versions of how I wanted it to turn out (lol). With that said, I do hope the wait will be worth it. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

He quickly shot up in bed, his heart thundering in his chest. His heavy breaths began to slowly subside as he ran an unsteady hand through his disheveled hair away from his damped forehead. The back of his neck was also damped, but instantly cooled, sending chills to run down his spine. He looked around his bedroom and felt a rush of relief. It was one of those peculiar dreams again of Riley as it started the moment he returned to New York. Everything about the nightmare was dark. She had black hair, a strand of it hanging on the left side of her face in a tight braid. Her chocolate brown eyes were dark and droopy with sadness as tears fell down her pale cheeks. She murmured to him the same words many times in his dreams over and over again.

" _You did this to me."_

" _I hate you, Lucas."_

" _I wish you never came back."_

He would try to reach for her then, to comfort and reassure her somehow…only to collide into what appeared to be a glass barrier that stood between them. He would scream out her name and bang his fist against the thick glass, trying to break free from it, but couldn't. His fearful eyes grew larger as she disappeared among the thick black cloud and was gone.

He would wake up in that very moment, each time terrified and broken. It felt so real to him; he could almost taste the black smoke. He rubbed his temples in a circular motion, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped harshly at the bed sheets just to stop himself from shaking. The thought of ever losing her crushed him as he felt a deep pain in his chest just thinking about it. His eyes scanned the room, the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains and providing the room its only source of light. He glanced at his nightstand; the clock read 7:35AM. He cursed, realizing he was going to be late for his externship. He forced himself into a sitting position on the edge of his bed and noticed the empty space next to him.

He reluctantly got out of bed and motioned across the room to open the door. He heard a popping sound of something cooking from the kitchen. He smiled as the smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the house.

He stepped out from the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen. She was in the middle of putting food on the table when she saw him walk in. "Oh hey. Good morning." Her auburn hair was wrapped in a messy ponytail, a few strands having fallen to hang over the skillet she was looking into. She looked focused, slightly tired from her late flight last night as he noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. He made sure to move into her peripheral vision before coming up behind her and planting a small kiss on her cheek. "I hope you're hungry." She said, biting off a piece of buttered toast before turning around to kiss him on the lips.

"I'm starving." He proceeded to the cupboard, grabbing two plates and a set of utensils before settling on the stool. She joined him just moments later as she sat down across from him, bringing over a plate of pancakes, eggs and bacon to the center of the island table. "This looks great, babe. Thanks."

She grinned at him. "You're very welcome."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while. Lucas' eyes were roaming around the plate of food in deep contemplation as he tried to avoid the topic that has been weighing heavily on his shoulders. Minutes have gone by and he could feel her intent gaze on him. With his mind racing and his emotions running rampant, he knew she was trying to read him as it made him nervous. He wanted more than anything to tell her about the kiss. But now that he had the opportunity to do so, he didn't know how to bring it up.

"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk last night." She began, tired of the silence and decided it was time to say something. "I know it was late, and I should have called, but after getting off the phone with you, I realized how much I miss you and want to be with you." She was rambling on and she knew it, shyly averting from his worried gaze as she continued on with a sigh. "I know it's only been a week—"

"It's okay, Belle." He said, reassuring her with a soft smile. "I'm glad you're here." He reached across the table and held her delicate hand in his. "I missed you."

A weak smile fell on her lips as their fingers became entwined. "I missed you too." There was a tense silence that descended upon them. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what was going through his head. "Are you okay, Lucas?" His eyes met hers, and she looked almost apologetic. "You didn't sound like yourself on the phone yesterday."

His calm demeanor was momentarily broken as he stared at Belle, her hazel eyes shining with nothing but sincere concern. At first he couldn't make himself speak, not when she was right in front of him, about to break her heart. The words he'd been burning to say since it all happened seemed impossible to form now.

"Lucas?"

Unable to look her, he lowered his gaze and cleared his throat, bracing himself for the blow that was sure to come. "S-something happened." Lucas stammered nervously, his stomach twisting into a tight knot as he thought about everything he was going to say. "But before I tell you, I need you to know that I love you, and I never meant to hurt you."

Belle frowned and blinked in what looked like confusion. Hearing him sound so conflicted and uncertain was mind-boggling. He was always so confident, and to see this rare, vulnerable side of him worried her. "Lucas, you're scaring me…"

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I kissed someone else."

He felt himself tense up as their eyes locked. Everything seemed suspended in time. For a second, there was that calm, unreadable expression on her face. She had no thoughts or voice for several moments that Lucas found himself wishing she didn't keep her guard up quite so much. But as her brain began to process what had transpired, her stomach lurched as a spasm of hurt and shock flashed in her eyes.

"W-what?" She queried, her voice cracking as his words made her throat run dry. He could see the pool of unshed tears form in the corner of her eyes and it ripped through him like a bullet.

"Belle, it happened one time and it meant nothing." His pained voice fell flat, unsure if he was trying to convince Belle or himself. She looked down at the table, gently wiping her eyes and hoping to calm her emotions so she could speak calmly. "I'm so sorry." Lucas half expected her to yell and curse at him, but she didn't. She just sat there staring at him; her mouth fell slightly open, no doubt trying to figure out what to do next.

She shook her head and looked around the kitchen before focusing her eyes sharply back on him. "Who was it?" She asked steadily, hesitating for a moment as if she was afraid to know the answer herself. "A stranger? A friend? An ex-girlfriend?" She emphasized every syllable that came out of her mouth, causing him to grimace at the hurt expression on her face. She sighed, her breath shaking as she fought to keep her voice steady. "Who was it, Lucas?"

There was a deep silence between the two of them as his hardened gaze settled on the half-empty plate in front of him. He lost his appetite then and felt sick to his stomach. "Does it even matter?" He looked at her questioningly, shaking his head in defeat. "Isn't it enough that I'm guilty? That I betrayed you?" He waited for her reaction, tense and breathless.

"Was it Riley?" She managed to ask, her voice strained as she spoke.

His body stiffened and his face paled slightly at the mention of her name. When he didn't say anything, her eyes closed and he saw there was pain engraved in her expression. "H-how did you know?" He asked weakly, his rough voice filled with emotion. He wished she could see how utterly broken, devastated and terrible he felt.

"Last night when you were sleeping," she answered, a hint of jealousy and sadness appearing on her face as she went back to the moment it happened, "you whispered her name."

Lucas shook his head and opened his mouth to protest, but promptly shut it as he thought about the dream. It was all too much for any one person to bear. His lingering feelings for Riley, the entanglement with Belle and the devastating look on her face like he had wounded her deeply and unexpectedly…it was all too overwhelming. He wanted to hide and escape the nightmare he was living.

The silence took over once again. Neither of them spoke for a couple of moments. Belle frowned, turning away from him as she absently piled up the dishes, seemingly at a loss for words. "I'm going to clean up here." She nearly whispered, her voice now void of all the emotions her eyes were trying to hide. "You should get ready. You'll be late for your externship."

His eyebrows flew upward at her sudden change in demeanor. "Belle, we should talk about this."

"Talk about what?" She asked calmly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "While I was in Maine planning our wedding you're here kissing someone else?" The emotionless tone hit him straight in the gut. She kept her chin up and didn't let him see how much his confession hurt her.

"It was just one time." He repeated desperately, putting weight behind every word. "And I'm so, so sorry."

"I know you're sorry, Lucas." She steeled herself. "But I'm afraid if we talk about this right now, I'll be saying a lot of things that I will regret later on, and I don't want that to happen. I just…" she stopped in mid-sentence and whispered sternly, "I need some time to think this through. And I promise when you get back home, we can talk about it."

Lucas said nothing as he simply nodded in understanding. He reluctantly got up from the stool and began heading towards his bedroom to get ready, only to stop halfway from leaving the kitchen. He turned around and glanced over his shoulder, a somber expression gracing his features as he looked at her. "I love you, Belle."

She gave a weak, small smile in return, one that fell quickly, as he turned around and left the room.

* * *

It was a pleasantly warm Sunday afternoon as the noon hour brought in a stream of business to Topanga's. Luckily for Riley, she arrived as soon as the lunch rush ended, graciously volunteering on her last day of Spring break to not only take pictures of new items on the menu to post on the bakery's website but to help Katy Hart with a last minute consultation. She went to the back of the shop and entered the office space where her mother was at her desk preparing to leave for the day. She was told there was new evidence that may shed some light on a case she was working on, one that she needed to discuss with her team of lawyers before the upcoming trial.

"Thanks for coming in, Riley. I'm sorry it was last minute."

"Sure, Mom." She smiled, "Whatever I can do to help."

"Call me if you need anything. Bye, sweetie." Topanga gave her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before grabbing her briefcase from the desk and leaving the room. Knowing that the new client would be arriving shortly, Riley checked the appointment book to gather the details. She was scheduled to meet with John and Anna to discuss a cake design for a baby shower party.

She stepped out from the office and returned to the front of the bakery. The flow of customers coming in and out was steady as she situated herself in the back of the room in a more secluded area, usually designated for consultations.

As she went over the pre-consultation sheet that was filled up prior to the appointment, she decided to get herself a drink, making her way towards the counter to fix one up. Riley was in the middle of making an ice vanilla latte when she heard the bell, indicating that a customer walked in.

Out of the corner of eye, she saw a tall female approach the cupcake display and greet one of the young male staff. He briefly excused himself to assist another customer he was helping first, and suggested that perhaps Riley would be able to take care of the order as he gave her a pointed look from across the room. She took the hint and nodded, hoping the customer does not hold her up too long. She would hate to run late for her appointments.

"Hi." Riley greeted the customer cheerfully as she approached her from behind. "How can I help you?"

The female turned away from the cupcakes and glanced upward at her direction. Riley's eyes flew open and zeroed in on the familiar face. Her lips were parted and her palms began to sweat, struggling to ignore the growing guilt and shame that swept over her. "Belle?" She blinked in surprise, her heart racing uncontrollably as she flashed back to the day she and Lucas shared a kiss.

"Riley?" She muttered, equally surprise to see her as she was. "Hey…"

"Hi..." Riley gave her an awkward wave as a faint smile crossed her lips. "W-what are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"I um…remember you telling me about this place," she explained, "and I happened to be around the area, so I…decided to take my chances, hoping to run into you actually." There was a hint of uncertainty in her tone of voice, causing Riley to furrow her eyebrows in bewilderment. She could sense something was weighing down on her, as Belle stood there distracted and nervous before her. "Can we talk?" Belle asked hopefully. Just hearing those words made Riley panic. She didn't know what to make of any of this as she looked up at the wall clock and bit her bottom lip.

"I have an appointment in 10 minutes."

"Just five minutes of your time." Belle urged softly. "Please."

Riley simply nodded and smiled. "Yea. Okay, sure." She led her to an empty table nearby as Belle followed and sat down on a vacant chair across from her. The tension in the air was tangible as they sat quietly for a few moments before either one of them spoke first.

"I know why you decided not to do our engagement photos." Belle began carefully, breaking the awkward silence that seemed to drag on forever. Riley flinched at her statement, but did not respond. She had the troubling feeling, an awful premonition about where this conversation was headed. "And I know what happened between you and Lucas."

Riley could feel herself shaking as she tightly gripped the hem of her skirt in an effort to stop the movement. Her expression slowly crumpled, and with it, tears began to pool in her eyes. The guilt and shame Belle saw on her face was all the confirmation she needed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. We were arguing a-and," she trailed off hopelessly, struggling with each word she spoke. "It was just a spur of the moment—it didn't mean anything." Noticing her physical and emotional reaction, Belle automatically reached out to touch her, gently placing her hand on top of hers. Riley reacted instinctively, shrinking back in her chair.

"I don't need you to explain, Riley." Belle cut her off and shook her head as though to wave off the apology. "I'm not here to argue with you or cause any trouble. I just need you to help me understand something. And please, be honest with me." Her voice grew softer as Riley shifted in her seat nervously.

"Do you still love Lucas?"

The inside of her stomach twisted and turned as she could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin. It was a question Riley had been afraid to ask herself as she averted her eyes to the floor, her cheeks burning with renewed shame. Belle could see the turmoil boiling in her conflicted eyes and she knew in that very moment she was not over him.

"Yes." Riley answered in a voice barely above a whisper. "Of course I do. He was my first love, a part of me will always love him." She clasped her hands together on the table, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "But…we grew apart. Things change. And I'm not the same girl he fell in love with all those years ago." Riley put on her brave face and looked her in the eyes, surprised to see them filled with genuine sympathy. She smiled then as a sudden look of realization crossed Belle's face. "He loves you, Belle. He wouldn't ask you to marry him if he didn't." A familiar pang filled her chest as the words escaped her lips. No matter how much it hurt her to say it out loud, Riley told herself she was going to get through this. "So please…don't let the one kiss get in the way of your happy ending with Lucas." Her composure slipped briefly as she took a deep breath to calm her aching heart. Her lips twitched slightly, but with effort she held her smile at bay.

"I'm his past, and you are his future."

* * *

Work couldn't end soon enough. It has been only five hours into the shift, but it felt much longer. Normally work went by pretty quickly. After all, it was a job he loved and one that he had fun doing whenever he gets the chance to work with animals. But with everything that has been going on, all he could think of was being with Belle.

So when 5 o'clock rolled around the corner, Lucas immediately rushed out the door, signaling for a taxicab the moment he stepped outside the animal hospital. He sat in the back of the yellow vehicle, his fingers anxiously tapping the side door. He looked out the window in deep contemplation and watched as the sun was starting to set and cast a beautiful orange hue in the sky.

Despite the light traffic, he arrived at the house faster than he expected as he paid the cab driver and immediately ran up the steps to the front porch. He entered his home and kicked the door closed as he dropped his keys on the foyer table. For several moments he stood by the door, just gazing at the empty space of his home. It wasn't really empty, but it felt empty the moment he walked in.

Shaking his head, he moved further into his home and stood in the livingroom where he found Belle sitting on the couch with her head buried in her hands. He walked over to her slowly, taking the seat closest to her. He was about to reach for her then when he noticed her suitcase and duffel bag was on the floor beside her; packed and ready.

"What's all this?" He asked, causing her to look up and acknowledge his presence. She blinked and drew in a deep, shaky breath.

"Hi, Lucas."

There was something in her voice that made him fill with dread. He gazed into her eyes and realized she had been crying. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She quickly wiped at her tears and gave a sad smile. "I'm uh...going back to Texas to get the rest of my stuff. I'll be staying with a girlfriend for awhile."

He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "What? Why?" He stared at her incredulously. He could feel her slowly pulling away from him as she lowered her gaze and fresh tears began to fill her already reddened and swollen eyes. Something then clicked in his head, a horrific realization. "Are you—breaking up with me?" Belle's gaze slowly traveled up to meet his and saw the war of emotions fighting behind his intense green eyes. For a long time they were silent, each meeting the other's gazes.

"I'm sorry, Lucas." She said brokenly, her voice wavering as she placed the cold diamond ring in the middle of his palm and folded his fingers over it. "But I can't marry you." Lucas stood frozen for a moment and felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.

"Why are you doing this?" He whispered, his heart constricting painfully with tears stinging his eyes. Belle could feel her whole body shaking, her tears clouding her vision as she mustered all her strength to blink them all back.

"You still have feelings for Riley." She frowned, swallowing hard as the words escaped her trembling lips. "And as long as I'm with you, you'll always be thinking of her."

They stared at each other, both of them fighting back the tears. "But I love _you_ , Belle. Please..." he begged of her, "don't do this."

She was silent for a moment and Lucas watched as she closed the gap between them and kissed him softly on the lips for one last time. She pulled back, gently resting her forehead against his before looking up at him with a pained smile on her face.

"Goodbye, Lucas."

She turned her back on him then, her heart shattering painfully. She knew she made the right decision even though she might regret it someday. She sighed softly as she took her belongings and walked out the door, not looking back as she let her own tears fall.

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think! Stay tuned...


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Hello to all my readers! Thanks again for the new adds, alerts, for your patience, for the kind words and your continued interest in the story. I do hope the wait will be worth it as we go further along with the story. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 _One Week Later_

It was a relatively normal Monday for Riley Matthews as the sound of morning traffic reached her ears the second she opened the door to walk out of Topanga's. It wasn't bright when she stepped outside, but rather cool for Spring; the chilled air moist with light morning fog as streaks of sunlight barely peaked through the thick gray clouds. Adjusting her grip on the cardboard container holding the coffees, she quickly began making her way down the sidewalk with all the other pedestrians. Her destination wasn't far as she walked a couple of blocks, and in less than fifteen minutes, she was ascending up the concrete stair steps of John Quincy Adams High School.

She strolled down the hallway, giving a few of the lingering students and faculty staff members a smile as she walked by. She reached the administration building and headed in the direction of her office when she spotted Auggie sitting down on one of the empty chairs by the door. He looked up at her, a small and nervous smile appearing on his face. "Hey, Riley."

"Hi, Auggie." She greeted in surprise as she took a seat beside him. "Shouldn't you be heading to class right about now?"

He looked her in the eyes with the look of uncertainty clouding his features. "Are you still coming out for the family dinner tonight?" He asked, shifting in his seat nervously.

She nodded. "Yea, of course. I wouldn't miss out on our monthly dine-ins." She added with a sincere smile. "Why you ask?"

Auggie gave a light shrug. "I just thought…maybe you were still mad at me for what happened the other day." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, prompting him to continue on. "At the bakery? You know…with _Lucas_." He reminded her.

Riley's lips slightly parted, but no words surface. Hearing his name caused Riley's heart to jump against her chest. She said nothing for a moment as she stared at her brother carefully and sighed, realizing the guilt he carried with him since that night. "No, you were right, Auggie." Her gaze softened as she reached out to him, gently resting her hand on top of his. "You did something that I didn't have the courage to do myself, and for that, I thank you."

He blinked in surprise, his shoulders relaxing in relief without him even realizing it. "So…you're not mad at me?"

"Of course not." Riley playfully nudged his right arm, getting him to crack a smile. "Now go to class or you'll hear it from Dad." She warned. "You and I both know how he gets."

He chuckled at the thought. "Thanks, sis. I'll see you later." He grabbed his backpack from off the floor and rushed out to his first period class.

Once he was gone, Riley entered her office and placed the container of coffees on the desk. She settled in the leather-revolving chair when she noticed the little red light that indicated a waiting voicemail was blinking on the phone. She began listening to the voicemails, taking notes about each one and marking events on the calendar. As soon as she finished, Riley stared up at the ceiling and glanced around the office until her eyes fell upon the stack of papers neatly piled in front of her. Sighing a little, she reached for her coffee from the cardboard holder and took a tentative sip. It had cooled down just enough in the walk over not to scald her tongue. Her mind began to wander aimlessly when a sudden knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced up as her best friend stepped inside the office and closed the door behind.

"Hey, Riles. Do you have my—?"

"Hot caramel macchiato with soy and extra caramel." She smiled, pulling the other coffee from the container. "Here you go, Maya."

Her sharp blue eyes glinted with excitement. "Thank you." She sat down on the empty chair opposite of Riley and released a discontented sigh. "Can't believe the weekend is already over." She frowned, drinking the coffee while she leaned back into the chair. She could feel the wonderful, rich warm liquid make its way down her throat and spread like fire throughout her body, waking all her senses. "Mmm. Oh, and by the way, Riles I'm going to miss out on your family dinner. I have a few appointments with potential vendors for the wedding. But Josh will be there, and he told me to let you know that he will swing by at the apartment and—" Maya stopped in mid-sentence, noticing the distracted look on Riley's face as her gaze remain fixated on the floor. "Um, Riles?"

"Hmm?" She snapped back to reality, realizing that Maya was staring at her with a look of genuine concern.

"You're doing that thing again where you drift off into your own little world and forget I'm here." Maya teased, her expression turning serious in a matter of seconds. "You alright?" She asked worriedly.

Riley nodded, forcing a smile that fell quickly. "Yea...?" There was slight hesitation in her wavering voice as Maya cocked her head to the side and gave her a pointed look.

"What's the matter, honey?"

She shrugged. "Nothing…just," Riley stammered, hesitant about whether to go on or not. But after a few seconds, she shook her head and sighed. "Lucas' fiancé stopped by at the bakery last week."

Maya's eyes went wide for a brief moment. "Oh? How come you didn't tell me this before?"

"I was trying to forget about the whole thing, Maya, and I did for awhile. Until Auggie brought up Lucas, and everything sort of just came back to me." She responded in mild frustration.

"So what happened?"

Riley heaved a sigh and ran her hands through her brunette hair. Thinking about it was making her feel on edge as she drew in a deep breath before speaking again. "She found out about the kiss." Maya froze, a soft gasp leaving her lips.

"Oh boy..."

"And she asked me if I still love him."

Maya blinked a few times as silence fell upon them. "What did you tell her?"

"Well…" Riley swallowed hard and shut her eyes, taking a moment to compose a response. "I said that a part of me will always love him, but things have change now. What Lucas and I shared is all in the past, and it's over between us."

Maya's eyebrows rose slightly. "I see…" She tilted her head to the side and studied her curiously. "And how did she take it?"

"Surprisingly well." Riley half-smiled, a disbelieving tone in her voice. "I am still here. Intact."

Maya smirked, slightly taken aback by the lighthearted response despite the heaviness of the situation. "Yes you are."

"I just hope everything will be okay between them, yah know?" Riley said worriedly, feeling the guilt creep back to her once again. "I feel terrible as it is, and I would hate to be the cause of the two of them not working out."

Maya gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure things will happen as they are meant to happen."

Riley pursed her lips unsurely before nodding. "I do hope so."

They spent the last few minutes sitting in comfortable silence when suddenly the bell alarm sounded, marking the beginning of first period classes. "Oh great." A disgruntled groan escaped from Maya's lips as she reluctantly got up from the chair. "I'm about to be late to teach my own class." She muttered, downing the rest of her coffee and tossing the empty container in a waste basket nearby. "I'll see you at lunch."

Riley smiled. "See you later."

* * *

With only a few students who stopped by at the office, the rest of Riley's day comprised of filing and maintaining student records, coordinating a career fair day for the following week and making phone calls to Armed forces recruiters and business leaders to the school to explain benefits of their industries to high school students. By the time she got home, she was already exhausted as she curled up on the couch to wind down with a glass of white wine and her favorite TV show. Once it turned 5 o'clock, Riley quickly changed into light blue jeans and a simple white V-neck shirt with a grey zip-up NYU hoodie to go over it. After about half an hour of getting cleaned up and dressed, her Uncle Josh arrived as expected.

Riley sat quietly in the back of the taxicab, looking out the window as they passed by buildings, pedestrians and the street city nightlife of Downtown NY. The sun was beginning to set, darkening the cloudy sky and casting a gloomy color of gray over the city.

Josh turned around in the passenger seat and looked back to her, noticing how unusually silent she was since they left the apartment. "You okay?" He asked her. Riley nodded without speaking and went back to looking out the car window. They turned at a corner and passed by a building she recognized to be the animal hospital. She immediately thought about Lucas, wondering if he was still in there saving animals and changing the lives of his clients.

They arrived to their destination just moments later as they entered the restaurant and immediately were assaulted with the aroma of steaks and burgers grilling in the Sports Bar and Grill. The restaurant was bursting with activity, the atmosphere festive and lively the moment they stepped inside. There were several screens playing on different sports channels with music playing softly in the background. The whole restaurant seemed to be alive with chaos, drawing a crowd of cheering customers, immersed in a game that was playing on multiple flat screens. Riley glanced at the nearest TV by the entrance and noticed the New York Knicks were playing against the Philadelphia 76'ers. She squinted her eyes, adjusting them to the small print at the bottom of the screen and smiled. The New York Knicks were up by 7 points with 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter.

"I bet you ten bucks Philly we'll take this game." Josh mumbled as she looked up at him with a playful smirk on her face.

"Make it twenty, and you're on."

He arched his brows in surprise as he takes her extended hand in his to seal the deal. "You're about to make me twenty dollars richer, niece."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at her uncle. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Table for two?" A female employee dressed casually in jeans and a New York Knicks jersey greeted them.

"We're under the name Matthews, party of 5?" Josh answered.

She briefly looked down at the tablet and smiled. "Okay. Looks like your party has already been seated. Right this way, please."

They were ushered further inside the restaurant as the hostess guided them to their table. Riley let her eyes wander around, the place nearly full for a Monday. She could hear the sound of pool balls slamming into each other near the bathrooms and the people having a good time, celebrating the beginning of Spring Break for some college students or watching the game on the screen. As they passed by the bar, Riley's gaze immediately landed on her parents and brother sitting at a corner table booth a few yards ahead. She smiled as they made their way towards them.

"Hey, guys. Glad you can make it." Cory Matthews stood up from his seat to give Riley a hug. He then turned to his younger sibling and smiled. "My brotha!"

"My brotha!"

"Where's Maya?"

"Busy planning our wedding." Josh replied with a grin, sliding onto the seat beside Riley.

"Your waiter will be right with you shortly. But for the time being, can I get you anything to drink? Pink lemonade? Coke? We also have beers on tap. Wine." The hostess offered as she handed them their menus.

"I'll have a glass of Chardonnay." Riley said with a smile.

"And I'll have an IPA." Josh ordered.

"Okay, I'll have that ready for you shortly." With that the hostess left their table, leaving the Matthews family to themselves.

"So what's everyone having?" Riley asked as she eyed the menu and browsed through the selection of burgers. She glanced up from the menu briefly, her wandering eyes looking in the direction of the bar when she saw him come into her line of vision. Her breath was caught in her throat and her world shattered once again.

"Oh shit."

"Riley," Topanga warned. "Language."

"Sorry, Mom." She sunk lower into her seat, and hid behind the menu, wishing the ground could just swallow her whole.

"What is going on with you?" Auggie asked as the rest of the family gave her an inquiring stare.

"He's here and I can't let him see me." She hissed.

"Who's here?" Cory asked as he turned around from his seat to take a peak.

"Don't look, Dad! He'll see you."

He looked back at his daughter with furrowed eyebrows. "What's going on with you and Lucas?"

Riley carefully shifted her eyes over to Lucas sitting alone at the bar, draining a glass of amber colored liquid and replacing it with another one. Even with the disheveled hair after what she presumed was from a long day of hard work, Lucas managed to still look good. ' _Damn him_ ,' she thought and then frowned to herself when she detected a look of sadness and defeat that graced his handsome features. His eyes were focused sharply on the bottle of beer in front of him while occasionally looking up at one of the flat screens to watch the game. She wanted to go over to him and say hello; to tell him how sorry she was about everything, and how she wanted nothing more than for them to move forward but she couldn't. Not under these circumstances. She quickly averted her gaze from him and looked up at her father. "Well, Dad." She began irritably. "If you must know, I followed your advice about getting closure. You remember that?"

He nodded. "Yeah…so what happened?"

She sighed. "We talked…and got into an argument. One thing led to another, and then he…kissed me," she mumbled shyly, glancing over at her family for their reaction as they shared the same surprised expression on their faces, "and I kissed him back. But it was a spur of the moment. It didn't mean anything!" She explained.

"Ugh, too much information." Auggie blurted out.

Cory looked confused for a moment, and then his eyes widened in shock. "Okay, I didn't tell you to do that!"

"I thought he was engaged." Topanga questioned as awkward silence fell upon them.

"And this got interesting, ladies and gentlemen." Josh added with an amused smirk.

Riley felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment. She was opening up to her family more than she intended to. "Well it happened, Dad. And this is me trying to avoid running into him." She turned her gaze over to her mother who was staring at her with a concern frown on her face.

"You two are going to have to talk about it at some point, honey. You just have to."

"I know, Mom." Riley sighed, propping both elbows on the table and bringing her palms to cover her face; desperately trying to ignore the pang of sadness that was resurfacing. It took so much effort for her to not look in his direction as she tried her hardest to keep her gaze anywhere but the bar.

Moments later, the waiter arrived with their drinks; briefly introducing himself before taking their food orders. Once he left their table, Riley took a long swig of the white wine from the long stemmed glass and relaxed into the comfortable chair booths. She let the pale yellow liquid swirl around the glass as she stared intensely at the floor, every emotion she had felt the prior week hitting her all at once.

"Um, Riley?"

"What?" She turned to Josh whose worried gaze was fixed at the bar. Her eyes widened as she lightly smacked him on the arm to grab his attention. "Why are you even looking at him, Uncle Josh? You're making it obvious."

When he didn't say anything, she casted a sideways glance towards his direction and noticed a gorgeous blonde female sitting on the empty seat beside him. She watched from afar as the blonde tosses her hair to the side and giggled at something Lucas had said. Her perfectly manicured hand then made its way up to his toned, bare arm and it stayed there as she continued eyeing him like a piece of meat. And to Riley's disappointment, he didn't even try to stop her.

She felt mildly annoyed and didn't like what was happening. It was as if Lucas had completely forgotten he had a girlfriend…a fiancé to go home to.

And then from the corner of her eye, another man approaches the bar. He was tall, dark and handsome, and completely drunk, swirling the contents of his glass absently. He was leaning heavily against the counter top with his back towards Lucas, staring down at the female blonde, a spark of something dangerous in his gray eyes and a seductive secret painted on his mouth that made her step back. He was standing very close to her, and by the time he placed his hand on the small of her back, Lucas' eyes turned dark.

"I think you better go there, Riley."

Topanga shot Cory a look. "You think that's even a good idea?"

He paused for a moment before nodding. "If there's one person who can neutralize the situation, it's Riley." He said, giving his daughter an encouraging nod. "She calms Lucas."

Riley said nothing, her tense features softened into a concerned expression as she recalled his words. "Okay," she spoke softly, "I'll handle this."

"You sure about this?" Josh asked her worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Then we'll be right here."

As she began making her way towards the bar, she could see the scene escalating fairly quickly. The two men were exchanging harsh words as she watched Lucas got up from the bar stool and reached over, pulling the guy's hand away from the woman's body before managing to step in between them. "She's not interested," she heard him say calmly. When the man cursed at him and tried to push him out of the way, Lucas grabbed his arms. "I said she's not interested."

"Lucas…"

His breath was coming too fast, his eyes flaring in anger. But when he turned his head sharply and saw her, he felt some resemblance of sanity, of calm beginning to seep back into him.

She was here, her hand reassuringly solid as it rested on his chest. She could feel his heart race beneath her palm as it slowly subsided with every second that passed by.

"It's okay, Lucas." She said quietly. "It's okay."

Lucas paused for a long moment, his emerald eyes locking on to her chocolate brown orbs with such intensity that she could feel her knees weaken. Lucas swallowed hard and awkwardly smiled back at her, finally being able to compose himself and take a step towards her.

"Well, aren't you a pretty fine thing." The other guy noted in his thick Boston accent, causing Riley to turn wearily at him. She could smell the stench of alcohol in his breath as he leaned closer to her, making her feel uncomfortable. "You know, I have a thing for brunettes. Let me buy you a drink, sweetie." His hands were suddenly on her sides as Riley immediately pulled away. Lucas officially had enough as he pushed the man back and he stumbled against a table, falling to the floor in a flurry of movement. The entire bar seemed to notice as customers stopped with what they were doing and looked up.

Ignoring the fact that everyone at the bar was watching them, Lucas turned back to Riley. "Are you alright?" He asked sincerely.

"Yeah, I—"

And right before she finished, Lucas slammed into her, his body crushing her against the counter top. She wasn't sure what had happened, but the rest of the bar could see that the guy Lucas had pushed had gotten back to his feet and ran at the two of them, determined to get his revenge. Lucas fell into Riley as he immediately got up and pulled her back on her feet. "I'm sorry," he said into her ear and turned around to face their attacker once more.

In a few seconds, it was all over. By the time Lucas turned, he felt lights explode behind his eyes as their attacker punched him hard across the face. Riley screamed as she watched Lucas fall to the floor, his nose a bloody mess. She regained her senses then and retaliated in anger, knocking out the drunken man who had caused them so much trouble with her fist. He was out cold, and before she could even react to the pain the punch had caused her suddenly bruised hand, within seconds, security had grabbed her and thrown her out the restaurant. And the last thing she heard while being escorted out were the sounds of customers cheering and applauding her in the background.

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 **A/N:** To be continued. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think!


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Hello, guys! Thanks to those who sent in their reviews. Your kind words continue to motivate me, so again thank you for taking the time to read each chapter and sharing your thoughts on them. Also, to my new readers: thanks for giving my fic a chance. I hope you all continue to stick around till the very end. Someone asked me how many chapters are left to this story. Well, I can say that I have roughly 3 more chapters planned out at this point. With that said, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

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 **Chapter 12**

It was the soft intake of breath and the warm rush of it against his face that drew Lucas out of unconsciousness. He moaned as he slowly woke up and felt the back of his head throbbing. It was hard to focus on anything as his eyes fluttered open to the blinding light, but his vision soon adjusted to the figure crouching over him. His eyes snapped open and he was both relieved and surprised to see who it was.

"Riley?" His voice came out hoarse when he whispered her name.

"Lucas." She spoke softly and smiled, relief flooding her face. "Hey…" His eyes were fixed on her, and he could practically hear his own heartbeat.

"Hi…"

She looked amazing as always, the mere sight of her causing his breath to knock out of his chest. With her make-up smeared, and eyeliner mixed with sweat that had beaded on her forehead, and the one stubborn lock of her hair falling over her eyes…he had not seen her look as gorgeous as she did now. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

There was silence as Lucas had to snap himself out of the trance she seemed to put him in. He surveyed his unfamiliar surroundings and frowned, realizing he was lying down on the couch of someone else's home that wasn't his. He tried to think back on what happened as different images swarmed his mind…the animal hospital, the bar, the basketball game, the blonde woman, the confrontation with a man, the fight…and then there was Riley.

He turned back to her with a serious and concern expression on his face. "What…what happened? I mean, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He demanded, the events of earlier that night slowly coming back to him.

Riley put her hand on his head as he quickly sat upright on the couch and winced in pain. "Easy there, cowboy. The guy left you with a bloody nose and a pretty bad cut on your lip. You're lucky you didn't end up with a concussion or worse."

He shook his head as though to wave off her concerns for him. "Did he hurt you, Riley?" He asked again, completely ignoring the pain in his body.

She stared at him for a moment and sighed. "No…but his jaw hurt my hand." She replied as she stood up from the floor and joined him on the couch.

Lucas gave her a questioning stare. "How did that happened?"

"I punched him." Riley confessed and made an attempted small smile. "I didn't think I hit him too hard."

"What?" Lucas raised a brow at her in shock, his protective instincts kicking in. "Why would you do that? He could have gone after you."

"But he didn't, okay. He was out…cold." He blinked at that. When he didn't say anything, Riley continued on, running her hand through her hair gently. "Besides, he was going to keep hurting you, Lucas and there was no way in hell I was going to just stand there and let it happen."

He bit half of his lower lip with a faint grin that was somehow twisted. His expression didn't escape her. He looked proud of her, and somehow Riley couldn't help, but smile. "Let me see your hand."

"It's fine." Riley said, brushing off his concern. "You're—"

"Just let me see it." Lucas insisted, his voice leaving no room for discussion. Riley sighed in defeat as she held her swollen right hand out, palm facing upwards. She felt the shock of electricity that pulsed through her when he placed his hand over hers. He delicately traced his fingers over her knuckles, looking for signs of bruising.

"See, I'm fine." Riley breathed out slowly.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, continuing to run his fingers along the back of her hand. Riley was at a loss for words as she tried to ignore the tingling feelings that shot through her at the contact.

"Um…no…not so much, unless I put pressure on it." She murmured nervously, pressing her lips together to control her breathing.

"Well…I don't think it's broken. Looks like a sprain. But I would get it checked out first thing tomorrow just to be sure. Ice should help with the swelling."

She slowly pulled her hand away from his grasp and smiled sheepishly at him. "Thanks…"

He nodded. "Anytime."

She looked at him carefully, but he doesn't return the gaze right away. He was staring blankly at the floor and had a distant look in his eyes like he had just lost a part of himself he could never get back. The kind he had when something was causing him worry, the kind of worry he didn't want anyone to know. For a moment there, he sounded hurt, tired and sad, and she can't help but reach out to him for comfort.

"So what were you doing alone in the bar anyway?" Riley asked curiously. She felt him tense up beside her. She had obviously said something that triggered a memory. Riley was a lot of things, but blind wasn't one of them. She had a gut feeling there was a reason he went to the bar just as people have their reasons to drink themselves into oblivion.

It was unlike Lucas, at least the Lucas she used to know, and she could tell something was wrong with him.

"What? A guy can't go out for a drink?" He chuckled with mock-innocence, trying to give her a playful smile that didn't quite translate with how he was really feeling.

She gave him a disapproving look, which quickly faded back to her worried expression. "What's going on, Lucas?"

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at her. "Belle left me."

Riley's lips parted, his words taking her by surprise. "W-what?" She stammered, a disbelief tone in her voice as she stared deep into his eyes. She saw pain in those emerald orbs of his, and her chest constricted painfully. This was all her fault. "Why? What…what did she say?"

"It's nothing you can help me with, Riley."

She twisted her lips as she recalled the conversation she had with Belle. Riley let out a deep sigh. "It's about the kiss isn't it?" He looked at her, searching her gaze for something, only to find guilt and shame in them.

Taking a calming breath, Lucas offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "It wasn't the kiss."

Riley's brows shot up. "Then what is it?"

He paused, reluctant to say the next part. "She's convinced that I still have feelings for you."

She blinked a few times and felt her heart pounding hard. Silence swept over them as Riley drew in a deep breath before responding. "Do you?" She asked slowly, beyond uncertain and afraid…so afraid to hear what he was going to say next. "Still have feelings for me?"

Lucas stared at her for a long moment, his face giving off no expression whatsoever. When he didn't answer, Riley closed her eyes and drops her head, unable to look at him for fear of falling apart before him. And then with a serious tone in his voice, as if the subject hurt him to talk about it, he took a deep, shaky breath. "Do you really have to ask me that?" His eyes were grim and his shoulders visibly tensed. She turned to look at him and he noticed the flicker of emotion that had come into her eyes. The silence after that was innerving as Lucas felt a pang of guilt over his inability to forget about Riley and love Belle exclusively and completely.

They continued down their individual trails of thought. With their breaths synchronizing and heartbeats steadying, they opened their mouths at the same time, their voices tangling in the air. They both lightly chuckled, and just as Lucas was dragging in a breath to put into words the cloud of emotions he was feeling inside, the door opened and someone stepped inside. They both glanced up towards the front door as Josh and Maya entered the apartment.

"Hey, guys." Josh greeted before hanging his black leather jacket on the coat hanger by the door. "Brought some Chinese takeout if you guys are hungry." He announced, holding the bags out in their direction.

"Aww…Uncle, Josh. You didn't have to."

"Oh, yes I do." He replied with an amused chuckle. "Since someone here had to be escorted out of the restaurant before any of us had a chance to eat."

A faint blush rose to Riley's cheeks when Lucas shot her a look. "You got kicked out?" He asked in disbelief.

"Oh yea! Josh told me all about it." Maya interjected before Riley could say anything. "My best friend is so bad ass! I didn't think you had it in you, Riles. Wish I was there to see it!"

"It was self-defense! I barely touch the guy."

Josh shook his head, laughing. "Alright. C'mon, guys. Before the food gets cold." He made a hand gesture for Lucas and Riley to join them in the dining room as Maya began setting up the table.

Riley turned to Lucas. "Hungry?"

"I actually should get going…" He said quietly, slowly moving away from her. "I'll call a cab."

"Uh…you are not going anywhere, Huckleberry." Maya retorted from across the room. "You aren't in good enough shape."

"I feel just fine."

"Why don't you stay the night and leave first thing in the morning?" Riley suggested, concern evident in her voice. "I don't like the idea of you wandering in the middle of the night after what happened…"

Lucas quietly shook his head before getting up from the couch and grabbing his jacket. "It's better I go now. You've done enough for me, and I thank you. All of you." He said, addressing everyone in the room before looking back at Riley. "Besides, I prefer to be in the comfort of my own home…in my own bed if you don't mind." He said with a smile.

Riley nodded in understanding. "Okay, fine. At least let me walk you out and keep you company until your cab arrives?"

He smiled, touched by her genuine concern for him. It warmed his heart knowing that part of her hasn't changed. "Sure, I'd like that."

Lucas opened the door and let himself out with Riley right behind him. Once the door closed, Maya and Josh exchanged knowing looks with one another and grinned.

The elevator ride down to the first floor was silent, both contemplating on the past few weeks. So much has happened in so short a time that neither one of them would ever thought it would end up like this. So much was lost with little to no gain as they are both reminded that even though they want to move on, their past could not be so easily forgotten.

They stepped outside in the chilly night air, but they were both warm enough not to notice the drop in temperature. Lucas followed Riley and sat down beside her on the concrete stair steps in front of the apartment building by the sidewalk, waiting patiently for the cab.

They sat together in silence for a time, watching the stars and feeling the cool breeze brushed gently across their warm skin. He watched her for a moment from the corner of his eye as she sat there, legs crossed, leaning back on her arms and her face tilted up towards the clear night sky. It reminded him of the times when they used to have nightly walks in central park and star gaze for hours on end and talk about everything and anything.

"You should fight for her, Lucas." She whispered suddenly, pulling Lucas from his thoughts and breaking the silence as her gaze lingered in the stars above. He looked at her as the moonlight played softly against the arches and curves of her face, giving her an ethereal glow.

Lucas nodded, but said nothing, knowing deep down that Riley was right. But knowing also that it wouldn't be fair to Belle. She finally turned her head to meet his eyes, and behind his was uncertainty. But she could see something else; a tenderness in his gaze that she'd seen before many years ago.

"I loved you, Lucas." She began carefully, finding the courage to tell him everything that needed to be said. "And I know I'll always will, you know that." Lucas took in the pained expression on her face, and it shattered his heart, rendering him speechless. "I never got the chance to thank you."

He swallowed nervously. "Thank me?" Lucas asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "For what?"

"For giving me a love that consumed me," she smiled, "a promise that love can be eternal. There was nothing more I could ever want other than for it to last forever." Riley held his gaze for a few seconds before she looked away with tears in her eyes. "But...I got scared and totally blew it. You were everything to me, Lucas. You made me happy and I let you slip away because of my stupid fears." She tapered off, swallowing her words and letting go of the breath she had been holding. "And when I realize the mistake I made and how wrong I was…it was already too late." Lucas closed his eyes as the weight of her words washed over him. His heart broke a little, knowing that he had hurt her by moving on. "It may be too late for us, but it's not too late for you and Belle."

Her pools of brown met his green ones, both igniting as time seemed to stop between them. It lasted a heartbeat, maybe two when Riley saw his lips trying to move and say words she had secretly hoped to hear for years. But the bright lights of the cab traveling in their direction down the road pierced through the moment, causing them to look away from each other.

Riley stood up then and Lucas followed suit as the yellow cab parked in front of them. She turned to face him, a sad smile tugging at her lips. She leaned in slowly and planted a small kiss on his cheek, causing him to stiffen at the unexpected contact.

"Fight for her, Lucas." She said softly, encouraging him with a nod. "Don't make the same mistake I did."

And with that, Riley turned around and headed back to the apartment, leaving him standing alone and confused more than ever.

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 **A/N:** To be continued...Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think!


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I'm back! Sorry it took me super long to update. Life happens, and honestly, I must have revised this chapter so many times till I got it to how I want it (lol). But anyway, thanks for the reviews, alerts, and adds from the previous chapter. Without further ado, enjoy!

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 **Chapter 13**

The day of Josh and Maya's engagement party was fast approaching as Riley found herself in a frenzy. It was the end of a hectic work week and already past midnight, and as always, she waited until the last minute to get everything ready and finalize.

Maya didn't expect that Riley would be able to plan an engagement party for her despite her busy schedule. She didn't really want to do an engagement party to begin with. But after some convincing on Riley's part, knowing she had her own wedding to worry about which was four months away, Maya finally agreed to it. She wasn't sure how Riley managed to balance out planning for the engagement party while also preparing her students for graduation day.

Sure, it was a lot of work for the twenty-two year old. It seemed she'd been doing a lot of work lately. From being a full time student counselor and occasionally helping out at the bakery to her side job as a photographer, Riley had always kept herself busy. At least by planning the engagement party, it kept her mind off of things and kept her from thinking about Lucas.

She was in the middle of hanging the last lantern on the ceiling when a notification alert sounded. Riley began making her way down the 15 foot steel step-ladder as she reached for her phone from her back pocket and saw a new text message from Maya. With her hand on one side of the ladder and the other gripping the phone, she was absently reading the text message when her foot had suddenly slipped on the rung. She yelped in surprise, dropping the cellphone on the ground and immediately clutching at the sides of the ladder. Her twisting motion had apparently caused the ladder to shake unsteadily and sway in motion. Riley kept still for a few seconds until the ladder righted itself and regained solid footing. She slowly climbed down the ladder once more when she felt sudden movement and strong hands settling on her petite waist. Before she could react to the contact, Riley was being taken off the ladder and placed safely on the ground. She spun around, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she smiled shyly at her companion.

"Thank you, Philip…and I'm sorry." Riley said with a helpless, hopeless, and humiliating expression on her face. "I can be very clumsy."

He smirked. "I know." There was a hint of spark in his grey eyes as he watched her, his gaze leveled. He was still holding her by the waist, as if he believed she'd stumble again if he let her go. "Be more careful next time." He said, releasing his hands from her waist before handing her back the cellphone, still intact.

"Will do." She sheepishly averted from his intent gaze and stood back to admire the work they had done to Topanga's, turning the bakery into a romantic and intimate engagement setting. A pleased smile made its way up her face as rustic string lights and lanterns shimmered and dangled from the ceiling, illuminating every inch and corner of the room. Underneath the tables was pastel yellow colored tablecloths to accompany the arrangement of beautiful mason jars with floating candles as centerpieces. Next to the main entrance stood a small table decorated with beautiful yellow and white hydrangeas, framed photos of the couple and monogrammed letters of the couple's initials J & M, painted in yellow and a dollop of gold glitter. The placed looked magical.

"Very impressive, Matthews." Philip surveyed their surroundings as he idly followed Riley towards the bay window at the front of the bakery and sat down beside her. "You did a great job to this place."

She threw him a sideway glance and smiled. "You know I couldn't have done all this without you."

"I just did the heavy lifting." He replied with a light shrug. "You're the one that brought Maya's vision to life."

"Well I appreciate your help, so thank you for doing this, especially on short notice."

"You're welcome." He gave her a sincere smile, one that he reserved only for her as it reached his eyes. "You know I'd do anything for you, Riley."

The words rang out in the still air. There was a long pause as she turned to look into those gorgeous grey eyes of his that were intensely focused on hers, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She knew how he felt about her. He made that very clear since their third year in NYU. But she also knew he deserved better. She had feelings for him too, but she figured that she was incapable of loving him as much as he deserved.

And how could she? How could she love someone completely and wholeheartedly, knowing that deep down Lucas will always be the one for her?

They stayed quiet, the silence between them stretching even further. Riley was cautiously aware of how close they were sitting with their shoulders and knees touching as the single thought sent blood rushing to her cheeks. It was a good thing she was already red from all the work earlier so he wouldn't notice…or so she hoped. Riley looked down, her fingers nervously playing with her silver bracelet while Philip watched her do it.

"Are you okay?" He asked, noting her discomfort after several minutes of silence. Riley let go of her bracelet and looked up at Philip. She nodded slightly as their eyes with a flurry of something that felt oddly like a swarm of butterflies traveling from her throat to her fingertips, leaving her with goose bumps. He knew Riley wasn't being completely honest with him as he kept his gaze firmly on her, looking into her eyes to find an answer to his own question.

"Listen, Riley…" he hesitated for a moment and swallowed hard, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

She felt herself tense up and she was suddenly nervous; nervous because she never wanted to disappoint him, hurt him. It took some time for Riley to realize that there are crucial moments in life that need to be let go of that could hold anyone back; memories that won't let you do things that you're scared to do. Meeting Lucas and falling in love with him was that one crucial moment in Riley's life that changed everything. And when that went away, she was afraid of opening up to someone again, only to have it come crashing down.

But there she was, delving into the unknown, about to be confronted with feelings she knew were there, but afraid to acknowledge. She knew what this meant and it terrified her. "What is it?"

"I like you, Riley. I like spending time with you." His eyes regarded her carefully, desperately almost. Riley could feel that tug again, but this time its tethered to her heart. "There's this photography master retreat happening this July in the south of France. It's a one week retreat for professional and aspiring photographers that get to work with internationally acclaimed mentors." He paused briefly, sparing her a glance before continuing. "Anyway, only 14 applicants are chosen out of hundreds…and I happen to be one of them."

Riley wracked her mind for a moment, letting the news sink in. He watched as her gaze shimmered with joy and she smiled proudly at him. "Oh my God, Philip. That's…that's amazing! I'm thrilled for you."

His jaw tightened a bit as he drew in a nervous breath. "I want you to go with me."

Riley's head whipped back and she blinked slowly, processing just what was being said. "W-what?"

His gaze softened, and he rose to a fully upright position, facing her. "We are allowed to bring one other person to this trip, and I'd like you to be that person."

Riley's stomach churned and she bit down hard on her jaw. There was a hesitant pause as she took a deep breath, her chest rising as her lungs took in the air. "Philip…"

"Look, I know you're going through a lot. You have kept me at arms length, and I'm not going to pretend I don't know why." He looked deep into her eyes as he spoke, rendering her speechless. "I know you're scared…worried that if we took it a step further we'd lose our friendship. But I also know, you're still not over _him_."

Riley opened her mouth, but then wordlessly took it back in and found nothing to respond. There was no denying it as she looked down at her hands and considered his words for a moment, unsure of what to say to him.

"I'm not going to give up on you, Riley. I'll wait…for as long as you need me to. Unless you look me in the eye and tell me you're not interested at all. But until that day comes, I'm going to fight for you." He said, determined as he saw her eyes widen and realization dawned on her face. "Because you're worth fighting for, and I'm not going to stop unless you ask me to."

Riley's lips tightened as she sat there and contemplated on his words. She stared at her wrist and played with the silver bracelet once more as unshed tears began stinging her eyes, her cheeks stained with guilt. After a long pause, she exhaled a soft breath and turned to look at him, dark eyes suddenly so weary. "I never expected you to wait for me," she said lowly. "You're a great guy, Philip and you deserve more than what I can give you." Her throat grew tight. Heart clenched almost painfully as Riley reached out and tentatively put her hands on his. "I can't promise you anything. I…I don't want to disappoint you."

He nodded in understanding and sighed deeply. "I know."

She averted her gaze to the floor, a ghost of a smile tracing her lips as she pictured herself on top of the Eiffel Tower, looking over the city. She felt the familiar pang of longing, a longing that she felt every time she saw or read and sometimes even heard of something dealing with Paris. "Paris seems like a dream come true."

"You always talked about going there."

"Yea." Her wistful smile fell in that moment as she felt her heart break a little, remembering conversations with Lucas of going to Paris together in the summer one day. Riley shut her eyes and thought for a moment before she opened them slowly. She could only hear silence, stifling in its intensity. It hung around her like a heavy shroud, muffling her thoughts. "Can I think about it?" She asked, biting her bottom lip as she looked back at him.

"Of course." Philip released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding; relieved the answer wasn't a 'no' as he remained hopeful. "Take all the time you need."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Philip stared at her for a long moment, taking in her shy and concerned expression on her face. Silence lingered between them, and then a timid smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Can I ask you something else?" He asked, his voice soft and low.

Riley arched an eyebrow in an unspoken answer. Philip read the signal loud and clear as he glanced at her soft, pink lips and back to her eyes. "If you allow me," he smiled, the beautiful image before him overwhelming his senses. "I'd like to kiss you."

The words echoed in her head and somehow she lost her breath. He noticed the way her eyes crinkled as she drew bashful and smiled down at her feet. He knew that was the smile he wanted to see for the rest of his life.

"I would love that."

It was like having tunnel vision, only able to see him. Everything else around them was blurred. She could hear the sound of her heart pounding and the scent of his cologne mixed with the natural smell of coffee in the room.

She was just inches away from his face. She was anxious with palms sweating and stomach churning as Philip slowly leaned in, just about to press his lips against hers until…

"Hey, Riley!" A voice croaked, calling out for her. When they heard the back door closed, they both jolted and separated from each other. Riley and Philip looked up as Josh made his presence known, entering the main room from the back of the bakery. "Where do you want these wine bottles?"

It took Riley a second to remember the text message Maya sent to her about Josh stopping by to drop off a few things. There was silence as Josh's eyes drifted between the two of them with a mix of confusion and mere curiosity. "Uh…was I interrupting something?" He asked, a suggestive smile forming at the corners of his lips, prompting Philip to get up from the bay window seat and turn to Riley.

"Well, my job here is done." Philip announced, trying to mask the discomfort in his voice. "Rain check?" He whispered, interrupting her train of thought as she looked up at him awkwardly and smiled.

"Absolutely."

He returned the smile before bringing his attention to their male companion. "Later, Josh."

"See yah, man." Josh waved back at him before Philip exited the bakery.

"So…" Josh began, following Riley to one corner of the room where the bar was set up. "What exactly was I about to walk into?"

"Nothing." She murmured, trying to keep her voice even. "We were just talking." She couldn't quite suppress the twitch of a smile as she began helping him unload the bottles of wine from the box, hoping Josh wouldn't notice. He said nothing as he gave her a knowing grin, causing her to blush.

* * *

He couldn't sleep that night or the previous nights for the past week and a half.

His mind was too consumed with his worries; thoughts about Belle, the externship, graduation…and Riley. He lied awake in his room, gazing up at the ceiling for hours and reconstructing the last month based on what he now knew. Memories and feelings that had been lost to him before resurfaced like they had never gone before. It was as if everything had shifted, and somehow, someway, the years of broken and shattered connections are rebounded.

His thoughts soon begin to darken as it filled his head and solidified to the point where he couldn't bear the weight on them. He became so lost in thought that he didn't notice the sound of the doorbell ringing. He remained still, lying awake in deep reverie with the faint morning light seeping through the curtains. He absently looked out the window and saw that the sun was trying to rise, but was obscured by massive rain clouds. It dawned on him that he stayed up the entire night with no ounce of sleep.

The doorbell rang again, pulling Lucas from his thoughts in the early morning silence as a light groan escaped from his lips. He turned to the digital clock on his nightstand and saw that it was only 7:15AM.

Refusing to get up on his day off, he rolled over and shoved his face in the pillows. "I'm not getting that," he groaned to himself as he nuzzled his pillow and buried himself underneath the sheets, hoping to drown his thoughts in sleep, which wouldn't come.

After a few seconds of silence, the doorbell sounded the third and forth time, followed by a knock on the door. Sighing, Lucas threw the covers off him and forced himself out of bed. He ran a hand through his already messy hair before putting a shirt on. Lucas was already on the move, taking a few strides past the kitchen and living room until he reached the front door. He opened the door and was surprised as soon as he saw him.

"You know, I'm a little offended that I have to find out from my best friend's other best friend that the wedding was off, which is a shame really because I would have looked so damn good in a tux."

Lucas' shocked face broke into a wide grin. "Hey, Zay."

"Luke! My man, it's been awhile." He studied him carefully, noticing the dark circles beneath his eyes. "And you look like shit. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Lucas let out a noise which was somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle. "Yea, nice to see you too." The two share a hug before Lucas opened the door wider for him to step inside. "What are you doing here?" He asked, shutting the door behind him as he gestured for Zay to sit down on the couch.

"Maya and Josh's engagement party is tonight, isn't it?"

Lucas thought for a moment before responding. "Oh. Right." He lightly chuckled, taking a seat beside him. "It is tonight." There was a brief pause as a distracted look fell upon his face. Zay noticed this and stared at him worriedly. "You could have at least called and told me that you were coming."

Zay shrugged. "Oh you know me. I like showing up unannounced."

Lucas smiled, thinking back on their middle school days when his best friend showed up in New York City all those years ago without him ever knowing he transferred. "Well I'm glad you're here, buddy."

"Me too."

"So…how's California treating you?"

"Amazing. You should visit me sometime. You'll love it there. The weather, the beaches…not to mention the beautiful women." Zay added with a wink.

Lucas laughed. "Yea…I bet..."

The laughter was short-lived and replaced with sadness that filled his voice, reflecting the weight of the situation he was in. Zay frowned sympathetically at him and patted his shoulder in attempt to cheer him up. "And how are you holding up?"

"I've had better days."

"I'm sorry…about what happened between you and Belle." Lucas dropped his head, looking embarrassed and broken hearted, like the break up between them still stung. "So what happened?" Zay asked curiously and knowingly. "Or do I even have to ask?"

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. "Farkle didn't tell you?"

"He left out the details. But I think I have a pretty good idea." Zay studied him carefully as Lucas' gaze fell to the floor. "So…how are you going to get _Riley_ back?"

Lucas shot him a look to see Zay's lips quirk up in a smile. "What?"

"I'm not stupid, Luke." He retorted with an amused smirk. Lucas said nothing as Zay took his stunned silence as an opportunity to keep going, not wanting to miss his chance to lay the truth on him. "You can date a hundred girls in your lifetime and put a ring on their finger. But at the end of the day it's _Riley_. It's _always_ going to be Riley."

Lucas hesitated in response. His eyes closed and there was a thin worry-line in the middle of his forehead that revealed the direction of his thoughts. Though the room was silent, his mind was not, and it spun question after question. For the first time in the past month since he arrived in New York, Lucas found himself at a complete loss—he had no idea what to do.

"Now the question is," Zay began once again, deliberately and eagerly as he spoke, "are you gonna let her go the second time?"

* * *

The sun was setting, spreading the last of its light and painting the sky a dusky hue with a few lingering clouds still in sight. Lucas arrived at the party wearing dark grey jeans and a navy dress shirt with a black tie and a leather jacket with a few shots of whiskey already humming through his system, loosening the knot of tension in his stomach, thanks to Zay who insist they stop by at a bar for a pre-drink.

They entered the bakery through the front door and were immediately greeted by Maya, beaming in excitement upon seeing her friends. She wore a sleeveless cream-colored lace dress with her gorgeous blond locks braided in a halo rope twist with fresh small, flowers around it. She looked amazing, and it warmed their hearts to see her so happy. It was all they ever wanted for her.

"Hey, guys!" She smiled cheerfully as she hugged them both. "Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, gorgeous." Zay replied with a wink. "Even though I would have been the better choice, but hey! Congratulations anyway." He teased, causing Maya to roll her eyes at him. She then turned to Lucas who appeared distracted as his eyes nervously scanned the room full of guests. He recognized half of the people in the room. The entire Matthews family, Maya's parents, Shawn, Jack, a few of their middle school and high school friends minus Farkle who is currently somewhere in Europe for an important company meeting, were all there. He even recognized the photographer; the same one who did his engagement photos weeks ago, going around taking pictures of everyone in attendance. And then there were people he didn't know whom he figured were other members of Maya's family, their college friends and colleagues. He searched and he searched, anxiously scanning every face in the room, but there was no sign of her.

"Looking for someone?" Maya asked with that peculiar grin of hers, jarring Lucas from his thoughts. A few seconds later, he heard the door open and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw her enter the room.

She strolled in wearing a strapless cobalt blue flare dress that hugged her waist and flowed down just above her knees in an A-line fashion with a sweetheart bust line that takes a plunge with a wired notch in the front to show a bit of cleavage. Her brown hair cascaded down over her shoulders in soft curls, framing her face, which set off her gleaming eyes. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was riveting and breathtaking as his mind became confused and stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. Lucas smiled despite his best efforts not to, until he saw the photographer approach her from the corner of his eye, his hand encircling her petite waist as he pulled her in for a hug before planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"W-what the…who's um, who the hell is that?" Zay exclaimed, raising his eyebrows with a look of disapproval on his face.

"His name is Philip." Maya answered. "He went to NYU. And…Riley is sort of dating him…" She added, glancing over at Lucas who was slightly taken aback. He watched intently from across the room and felt his heart drop the moment Riley returned the warm welcome, giving the handsome photographer a kiss on the cheek.

Raw feelings surged through him, and he had to use every fiber in his body not to run to Riley and pull her away from him. His skin seemed to vibrate against the shirt he was wearing, his heart pounding against his chest.

She used to be his and he used to be hers, but life got in the way and the timing was never right. He couldn't believe that he had let her walk away from him. From _them_. He knew the minute she ended things, he should have went after her and fought for her, but he also wanted to respect her decision; one he could never be able to understand even till this very day.

Now four years later, as their paths meet again, it drove him mad seeing her with anyone but him.

And it was in that moment he knew, he was still in love with Riley Matthews.

"Excuse me" he said lowly, averting his gaze from them, "while I go get a drink."

* * *

 **A/N:** To be continued...Let me know what you think! Two more chapters left.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N:** My deepest apologies…again for taking so long to update. Special thanks to those who have been patient with me, who continue to read and send in their reviews. To my new readers out there, thanks for the add and for giving this fic a chance. We are near the end folks. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

The drink did nothing to divert his mind. Instead, it brought back memories—memories of their time together. Lucas stared at the melted ice cubes in his empty whiskey glass while a distant sigh escaped his mouth. As he felt the alcohol seep through his veins and ignite his blood, he could hear the party swirling around him in a blend of music and voices.

He carefully glanced in Riley's direction and smiled when he saw her relaxed expression. He loved how her eyes lit up whenever she found something worth her interest to talk about. But it killed him every time he saw her with another guy, engaged in some deep, meaningful conversation as he hastily averted his eyes back to his drink.

"You know, I hate to say it but he is one good looking dude." Zay muttered, signaling the bartender for another drink as Lucas turned to him with an annoyed look on his face. "I mean don't get me wrong, Luke…you still have the face that women swoon over, but this guy looks like he is part of the vampire Cullen clan…. except without the pale skin and the creepy red eyes." Lucas raised his brows questioningly at him. "Okay, so I watched the entire Twilight series, don't judge me."

Lucas gave out a defeated sigh and lowered his head. "Who am I kidding here, Zay?" He practically whispered. He couldn't look up at him. Couldn't let his best friend see how much this was killing him. "What if she moved on? What if…what if I'm not that guy for her anymore?"

Zay pressed his lips together in thoughtful contemplation and shrugged. "Only one way to find out, buddy." He nodded and peaked at Riley's direction through a quick sideways glance before his gaze trailed off towards the dessert table. Lucas noticed this as a smirk came across his lips.

"Zay, you don't need to stay here with me, man."

"Huh? What?" Half distracted, he turned back to Lucas and blinked. "Come again?"

"You've been eyeing the dessert table since we got here." He pointed out. "Go. Enjoy yourself. I'll be fine."

Zay grinned, but held back his eagerness just a bit with a small frown. "Okay…but you're not gonna do anything reckless like kicking harmless trees or something, are you?"

Lucas lightly chuckled at the comment. "I would never do anything to ruin Maya and Josh's night. I promise." He gave him a reassuring look that clearly pointed out his true intentions as Zay smiled in satisfaction before darting towards the dessert table.

Lucas placed his glass down on the bar table and met the eyes of the bartender who silently asked him if he wanted another one. Lucas gave a small nod of the head and watched him pour another glass of the dark liquid.

"I'll have mineral water. Sparkling please." A familiar voice broke through his thoughts and made Lucas raise an eyebrow. He shifted unsteadily on his feet, casually glancing over at the figure beside him and inhaled softly in surprise.

"Mr. Matthews?" His voice was rough and scratchy; he had to pause to clear the lump that has risen in his throat. The elder man looked up at the sound of hearing his name and when their eyes met, he smiled wide, recognizing the face he knew all too well.

"Lucas. Hey!" He exclaimed, genuinely surprised to see him. "It's so great to see you."

"Yea." Lucas smiled in relief. "Thanks." They shared a hug and he was thankful that that there was no resentment and no ill feelings between them. He not only valued Mr. Matthews as his teacher, but also as a father figure. "You too."

"Well," Cory began, a bright smile on his face as he pulled back and took a good look at him. "I suppose a congratulations is in order."

Lucas stared at him blankly. "C-congratulations?" He asked after taking a gulp of the whiskey. He could feel his buzz already wearing off.

"Ah, Riley told me you were engaged." He replied candidly, lifting his sparking water to his lips to take a few sips. "And I want you to know that I'm happy for you, Lucas."

Lucas blinked wordlessly, his face twisting in an expression of pure sadness and defeat as he slowly averted from Cory's gaze. He then grabbed his half filled glass of whiskey and downed some of it so quickly that he was forced to stop. He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw, as the alcohol burned his throat and all the way down his chest. "The engagement was called off." He whispered, his voice wavering as he spoke.

Mr. Matthews nearly gaped, the young man in front of him, who in many ways was like a son to him, looked like he was about to lose it. He furrowed his brow and led him to a chair in front of the bar. "I'm so sorry, Lucas." Cory sat down across from him, grabbing the nearly empty whiskey glass from his hand. "Alright, slow down. Tell me everything."

Lucas stared at his hands for a few moments, not wanting to recount the tale. After a heavy sigh, he spent the next five minutes telling Cory everything that had happened.

"You still love my daughter." Cory replied without question, recognizing the unmistakable pain in his eyes. Lucas' posture stiffened, his lips tugged into a small and sad smile. There was no denying it now as he looked at Lucas and grinned like a father would their son.

"I never stopped loving her, sir."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Lucas shot him a look and his mouth had gone dry. Cory was pushing him, and he was terrified of launching into a course of action that he'd later regret; terrified that the confrontation—or confession—either would more than likely send Riley running for the hills…and away from him.

That's what he'd thought at the moment. Of course, he still harbored hope in his heart.

Lucas said nothing as his gaze idly shifted to the other side of the room where Riley and the photographer were still talking. He could see the smile grew on her face, a smile that would light up any room.

"You know, she still loves you, Lucas. You were her first love, the one she'll always love no matter what happens."

"I did not fight for her as I should have all those years ago, Mr. Matthews. I just—I let her walk away." He spoke dejectedly, receiving a quick glance from Cory as his usual bright expression changed countenance altogether. "Instead, I fell in love with someone else, asked her to marry me…and then have it all ended." Lucas sighed, the frustration in it was clear in his voice. "Tell me, and be honest with me, is it even right for me to fight for her still after everything that has happened?"

Cory smiled with that familiar knowing look in his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with fighting for what you want and fighting for what you believe in, son."

"Even if the timing is wrong…so completely wrong?"

"When is it ever right?" Cory rebutted. "Just because the timing is wrong doesn't mean it won't ever be right again. You have only one life, Lucas. Don't waste it on the 'what if's'. You'll be living your life in regret."

He waited, quiet while he weighted on his words. He glanced over in her direction, and for a moment, everything was clear again. He felt the alcohol still coursing through his system, but he was suddenly hyper-focused when Riley's eyes met his from across the room. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. His stomach went into flutters and his heart raced. He turned back to Cory, taking a swallow of the sparkling water he offered him. Cory smiled and gave an encouraging nod, one that he needed to move forward.

"Go get her."

* * *

Riley softly smiled when she spotted him talking with her father by the bar. She was about to go over to him when something stopped her in her tracks. It was fear…and she was actually afraid to go near him. She was afraid of what would happen if they saw each other again; afraid of getting close to him and how she wasn't sure how to handle it.

She continued to watch him from across the room and allowed herself to catalogue his handsome features. From the musculature of his torso that his clean suit did little to hide to his gorgeous green eyes that always seemed a little brighter every time she sees him as if each one had a sparkle hidden within. She couldn't take her eyes off him and suddenly she found herself thinking about their past. When he looked up and caught her staring at him, she blushed and looked away. She sneaked a look back at him and saw him smiling at her. She timidly smiled back before their companions pulled them back into conversations.

"Riley?"

She snapped back to reality. Her eyes gaining focus again as she turned back to Philip with a long heavy breath escaping her lips. "Yea?"

"You said you made a decision about France?"

She blinked a few times and shook her head quietly, recalling the conversation she was just having with him. For a moment there her gaze was frozen under his, almost completely rigid. "Oh right." She nervously chuckled and drew in a shaky breath. "Yes…yes, I've decided."

He looked into her eyes to see if he could read what was going through her mind. He momentarily held his breath in anticipation, too nervous to properly function anymore as he simply stood there, and waited. He would wait forever, if need be, to get the answer to his question. "And?"

She swallowed thickly, realizing she had to make a choice, for her sanity and for her own happiness. "And…I—"

"Riley." His voice came out of darkness, startling her. Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice instantly; the voice of the man she held dearly to her heart and could barely keep her mind off of. She slowly turned around to find him standing before her as all thoughts and feelings that had gathered up from back then rushed through her once again like a tidal wave, flying up from her heart and rushing to her face.

"Hello, Lucas." She said facing him, trying not to show how much of his presence was affecting her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," his voice echoed through the confined space between them. Silence weighs down on them as he briefly stares at Riley's male companion. Something flickered in Lucas' eyes, a flash of jealousy that he quickly hides behind a tight, and polite smile. He looked away, bringing his attention back to Riley. "May I have a word with you?"

When he looked at her, time suddenly stopped. He was looking at her in a way she hadn't seen in a long time as she was brought back to the day she first fell onto his lap in the subway. Her eyes switched back to Philip as she watched his dark brows twitched upwards, just slightly, as he stares at Lucas with mild curiosity. She could feel the tension in the air building between them, and after a long moment, Philip breaks the silence.

"It's okay, Riley." He offered her a reassuring smile. "We can continue this later."

She nodded, almost reluctantly. "Yea of course." She watched him leave, his hands raking through his hair as he went towards the bar.

"Let's talk outside?" Lucas suggested, pulling Riley from her thoughts as she quietly agreed and followed him out the back door. When they stepped outside, a beautiful calm lay upon them as they both looked up at the clear dark sky with nothing but a sea of stars that stretched from horizon to horizon.

"So…he seems like a nice guy." Lucas began as their eyes locked for a brief moment.

"He is." She chewed her bottom lip self-consciously and replied in a somewhat detached manner. "He's great." She kept her eyes forward and her tone neutral as she spoke, so it was a surprise when she finally did glance at Lucas to see that he was clearly trying to not look nervous and frustrated.

"I just wanted to lay things out for you, Riley." He said, clearly out of his comfort zone, and trying to piece together what it was he truly wanted to convey. "You told me that I should fight for her; fight for the woman I love." Riley said nothing as his words gave rise to several emotions. She felt her heart flutter and her stomach twisting in knots. She couldn't deny the overwhelming disappointment she felt, a tiny pang in her heart as if she already knew. And what was left is a tiny spark of hope, hidden beneath the tide of negativity. "Well, I'm going to fight for her, Riley and I'm not backing down." He declared, brooking no argument. "Now the question is, are you going to try and stop me?"

Riley looked up and the moment her eyes came to rest on his, her entire face changed. Her lips slightly parted as she held his intense gaze. She had to keep it together and fight back the tears, knowing he would let her go and return to the woman he asked to marry.

She broke eye contact, glancing at the floor with that shy look that only Lucas could bring out of her. She then looked back up at him, a small and tentative smile on her face as though she has finally come to terms of what they would become. "No, Lucas." Her quiet response drifted across the gap between them, wanting to say so much more than that, but the right words wouldn't come. "I will not stop you."

Silence lingered, as their eyes remained locked together. All movement froze and the moment stretched on as the only sound in the room was their beating hearts. Neither blinked and she saw the change in his face as he searched her eyes for something. She could see the tiny gold flakes in his green eyes as he smiled at her. "Good." He took a few determined steps towards her, bringing his hands up to cradle either side of her face. Her breath slightly hitched at the unexpected contact, as he looked deep into her worried and confused gaze, realizing just how close he was to the moment of truth. And in those soft brown eyes of her, he found his courage to be honest, to be truthful, to stop running and stop hiding…to accept the compassion and love that he so clearly wanted to give her. "Because this is me, fighting for her." He whispered, his thumbs gently caressing her face before he closed the distance between them and kissed her with all rational thoughts, and the irrational ones too, fleeing their minds, and all that was left were his lips and her lips touching.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Who will Riley choose? What have she already decided? Let me know what you guys think! Next chapter will most likely be the last one.


	16. Epilogue

**A/N:** First and foremost, thanks to those who have been sending in their reviews and for adding me and this story to your favs. And special thanks to those who have stuck around and read this fic in its entirety. We are finally at the end. I wrote this epilogue twice, and finally came up with an ending that I feel was right. Hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 **"Forward to Tomorrow"**

The summer Parisian air was stifling and humid with a vague breeze coming from the river nearby providing some relief from the sweltering heat. The sun was closer to mid-morning, angled just right as its rays make the water glisten and gleam like sparkling diamonds. She was sitting at an umbrella-covered table outside a restaurant where the waiters spoke mostly French and the smell of food was alluring that you can't help, but want more.

She paused and took it all in, absorbing the sounds of life in French as she can hear the happy chatter of citizens walk along a promenade and voices singing along to the gentle strumming of a guitar by the cobblestone streets of Paris. From where she sat, she overlooked the streets and avenues, her eyes scanning to each loved landmark that stood out gorgeously against the crystal blue morning sky. It was everything she had hoped and imagined it to be as she closed her eyes and smiled, losing herself in the moment without a care in the world.

"Mademoiselle?"

She cleared her head with a quick shake when a handsome young waiter approached her table, pulling her from her deep reverie. She looked up at him with a sheepish smile, forgetting for a brief moment where she was. "Qui?" She replied back in her best French accent, one she perfected over the past few weeks before the trip as it rolled seamlessly off her tongue.

"Désirez-vous autre chose?" He asked.

"Non. Merci beaucoup." She smiled, paying the waiter a generous tip before leaving the restaurant.

She spent the next few hours treating herself to friendly human interaction and distractions from her other life. She was finally sightseeing on her own terms and satisfying her inner childish wanderlust and dreams.

With her small SLR camera gripped between her hands, she began taking pictures, capturing every beautiful moment from lingering tourists snapping photos of Paris to crossing the Pont de l'Alma and viewing the boats and bridges through the camera lens.

She walked further along the bridge, passing by pedestrians and bikers with her eyes never straying from the city's natural beauty. She could see the regal stance of Paris' landmark looming closer, and by the time the Eiffel Tower came into full view, she felt an odd lurch in her chest. She lingered a little longer, gazing up at the beautiful architecture that stood in the middle of such a glorious city. As a symbol of numerous love stories and dreams, it made her romantic mind swoon over endless possibilities, wishing she had someone there with her to share the lovely scene.

Time pleasantly moved forward then, relaxing and quiet, as she continued standing below the Eiffel Tower and soaking up the sun, caught up in a world where the what-ifs carry no meaning.

Lost in a trance, she was rekindled with aspirations and ambitions as her mind wandered aimlessly; the breathtaking sights around her overwhelming her senses. It was as if nothing else mattered, but her in a stunning city waiting to be explored and reveal its secrets. And then a notification alert sounded, causing her to reluctantly look away from the spectacular view and pull out her phone from her yellow satchel. She have lost track of time when she saw it was already past noon with the sun at its highest point in the sky, its beams shining over her. She glanced down at the screen and noticed three new messages. With a quick swipe of her thumb, she read the first one from Maya with an attached photo of her sitting down in a nursery room, her blonde hair tied back into a messy bun with a few loose strands of hair that had fallen, smiling into the camera with a sleeping, beautiful 1-month-old baby girl bundled up in her arms. She stared at the picture in awe, her eyes lit up with joy as she read the message that followed.

" _Eleanor Penelope Matthews missing her Godmother. Hope you are having a fabulous time in Paris! Love you, peaches."_

She found herself staring at the photo for quite some time, not able to move or even blink, transfixed with the image that melted her heart. Memories of the day Maya gave birth came flooding through her head shortly afterward as a smile crept over her lips. She snapped out of her daze then as she scrolled down to the next message sent by one of her previous students. She waited until the photo loaded, and in a matter of seconds it appeared on her screen. Her smile widened and her heart felt as though it would burst. She was staring at a picture of Jasmine wearing her Yale University tank top with her boyfriend Eric sporting his Duke basketball team shirt posing hand-in hand in front of the Statue of Liberty. She read the following message, one that tugged at her heartstrings with all feelings of hope, love, and optimism renewed.

" _Just finished our freshmen year in college and back home in New York. Still together and very much in love! Hope to run into you in the bakery over the summer."_

She felt a sudden rush of emotions as she went back and forth between the photos, wishing for a moment that she were back home to see them all. Releasing a contented sigh, she returned to her messages to read the last one. And when she saw whom it was from, she smiled more at the thought of him.

" _Care to show me where you are?"_

She read with a grinning face and smiling eyes emoji at the end of the message as she mentally pictured his smile and his gorgeous features, wondering where he was and what beautiful moment and scene he has captured through his visionary talent of finding beauty in the simplest of things.

She briefly flipped to the front camera, adjusting the angle to the handheld device so the sun hits her directly on the face. She smiled at the camera, taking a quick selfie with the Eiffel Tower displayed behind her. She scrolled through her contact list until she found Philip's name and sent the photo.

Seconds later, her phone buzzed with a reply that stated _"Beautiful"_ followed by a photo of him in front of the Taj Mahal.

She smiled and placed the phone back inside her bag, making a mental list in her head of things to do and places to see. She was about to make her move then and visit the Louvre next when she suddenly felt someone's presence behind her. She stiffened and pushed down the urge to shiver, only to hear his voice a split second later.

"Excusez moi, mademoiselle?" A smile instantly graced her features as she recognized the voice, so deep and soft with hint of amusement underlying its tone. "I was hoping you could help me locate my _wife_?"

She lowered her camera and turned around, following his intense gaze on her as her smile deepened. The man before her was dressed in khaki shorts with a blue collared bottom up shirt over a white fitted tank that accentuated his toned body and arms. She snapped out of her observations when he began walking towards her. "Well…I don't know." She shrugged with that playful, knowing smirk on her face, "What does she look like?"

Glancing over at her, he chuckled for a moment upon seeing her expression. "Well," A flash of mischief lit his eyes as he took another step forward, slowly closing the distance between them. "She has the most beautiful soft brown eyes I have ever seen with gorgeous long brunette hair."

"Hmm, there are plenty of them here." She teased, earning a smirk from him as she looked at him expectantly. "You will have to give me more than that."

"Very well." He continued eagerly, promptly losing his breath at the sight of her, looking beautiful, alive and content in her white lace, spaghetti strap, off the shoulder with cropped sleeves dress. "She has a smile that can make anyone's heart swell and a laugh that would still sound in my mind for hours. She has this incredible, bright personality that could make a room full of sad people laugh, if only for a second." He paused, marveling at the effect of the sunlight caressing her face as he slowly circled around her, his eyes straying from her head and down to her toned legs. As he passed behind her, he leaned close, his thin lips barely pressed against her ear. "She is pure, honest and genuine with a heart full of gold. Not to mention, killer legs that can go on for miles."

Her body shivered involuntarily, his whisper completely paralyzing her as blood rushed to her cheeks and turned red with pleased embarrassment. He stopped right in front of her as they stood a few inches apart; close enough for her to see that he was growing a bit of stubble along his jaw line, making him look incredibly handsome with his slightly unruly light brown hair. "If you find her, I want her to know she means the world to me." He said, daring to look at her with loving eyes as her heart began to race. "That I will always love her no matter what happens."

She bit her lip as a faint frown crossed her features. "Even after she snuck out early in the morning and left you with an empty bed just so she could have a head start to the day and have a bit of alone time to sightsee?" She asked quietly, a slight catch in her voice as part of her fears rose to the surface no matter how silly it sounded.

He lightly chuckled in response, lowering his gaze at the sparkling diamond in her ring finger as a constant reminder of the life they were going to have. "Yes." He whispered, looking back at her with adoration in his emerald eyes. "I knew what I was getting myself into the moment she fell onto my lap." His voice trailed off and he found himself at a loss for words. He quickly gathered himself and stared at her for a moment longer, his smile deepening slightly. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."

His words made her breath hitch; the affection and love she already felt for him settled deeper within her. She offered him a smile that matched his own as she reached out and curled her fingers around his hand. Clasping it tightly between her own two hands, she waited a moment in silence, head tilted and hair drifting on a brief, light breeze. Regardless of her concerns, just the sight of his smile was enough to know that everything would be okay in the end. "Well you're in luck." She grinned, running a finger down the line of his jaw in a gentle caress before framing his face in her hands. And with a smile of reassurance, she whispered. "You've found her."

She pulled him towards her, bringing his lips to hers. Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss followed by another as he deepened the kiss further, pressing his palms firmly against her waist and bringing her into his chest. They pulled apart seconds later for air, but kept their bodies close as their foreheads touched to revel in the moment.

"Hey, Lucas?" She whispered, slowly looking up at him to meet his gaze.

"Yes?"

"How did you know where to find me?"

He smiled down at her, the affection shining through his expression. "I know you, Riley." He said, gently brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "I've always known you."

Her face felt hot and flushed as his eyes connected with hers. "I'm glad you always knew me." She finally said as he held her gaze for a moment, his smile widening at the sincerity in her voice. "Very well then..." She broke the comfortable silence and looked away briefly as her eyes brightened with excitement. "Now that you're here, would you like to join me to visit the Louvre? I heard it's spectacular." She asked cheerfully with a certain gleam in her eye that seem to always warm his heart.

"You're actually inviting me?" He teased, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. "You know, I'm perfectly fine with you going on your solo adventures if that's what you're worried about. There's plenty to do here that I can immerse myself into, yah know. Like visiting Parc Zoologique de Paris."

She frowned, but the smile on her face told him otherwise. "And I love you for that, I really do. But these few hours of sightseeing alone made me realize how much I would rather do this with you." She admitted, causing him to smile wide as her face changed suddenly, her expression filled with joy and contentment. It was quite obvious she was distracted and floating on Cloud Nine just as he was. "And I too want to visit the Parc Zoologique de Paris…" She added, her lips slightly pouting outwards as he shook his head and chuckled in complete awe.

"Yes, of course."

She lifted her eyebrows and smiled at him. "So…would you care to join me?" She asked; trailing off in mid-sentence as she grabbed one of his hands and gently placed them on the small bump nestled between her hips. She looked into his eyes, into the stunning green depths that made her feel more things than she had ever before. "Or I should say, the _both of us_?"

His gaze went down to the small rounded bump that was clearly starting to show. He slowly kneeled down on his right knee, with both hands resting on either side of the bump and lightly kissed Riley's growing belly through her dress. He could feel those soft brown eyes he fell in love with looking down at him, her beaming eyes searching his as his expression softened. He stood up and grabbed her left hand, lightly caressing the diamond ring with his thumb. He then brought her hand to his lips and brushed a soft kiss across her fingers. He let their hands rest against his heart, the rhythm of each beat resonating through the side of her hand, down to her bones and surging to her own heart.

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head and pulled back, stroking her chin with his fingers as he tilted his head and smiled tenderly at her. "Always."

 **The End**

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 **A/N** : Thank you for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. Any last comments and reviews is much appreciated. Stay tuned, this won't be the last you will hear from me.


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